All the Things that We could Be
by YunaBrown
Summary: A new team, a new beginning. Who will rise? And who will fall? High school tennis has just gotten dramatic. They say high school is one of the best times of our lives, or is it? OC teams, orginal PoT characters. Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! :)

I'm new author here in , and this is my second story so far.

This is mainly OC story, but of course heavily influenced by the original characters. This story is set in PoT high school universe, so I guess you can categorize this as an AU.

I will try not to create too many Mary-Sue-ish kind of OCs, though if you think they are, it's because that part is important for my plot/story line.

Any kind of criticism is welcomed, but please try not to be too harsh. :))

Anyways, enough talk (in my part).

Enjoy reading (I hope)!

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_**Disclaimer:**_ Prince of Tennis will be mine..if only I could save a million yen every freaking hour of my life (which sadly is impossible). So, yeah, PoT will never be mine. The OC's are mine though.

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**Prologue: Where We Left Off**

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"_Hey! Have you heard about the Seishun Team?!"_

"_Yeah…I heard they formed a team which plays at private tournaments."_

"_Aren't their team suspended like two years ago?"_

"_Eh?! That's too bad. They have such good team before. What happened?!"_

Shira Anazawa silently fumed from where she is standing.

The whispers about the Seishun High tennis team has been steadily growing louder these past few weeks. Ever since the Regionals ended (where Hyotei and Rikkai Dai had another stand-off), the rumors about the possibility of Seishun High school team going back to the tournament circuit next year has had the high school tournament circuit-buzz thrumming incessantly.

"So those girls are planning on returning to the tournaments eh?" her captain, Miaka Tachikawa, murmured amusedly beside her. "Too bad. By next year, Hyotei will be stronger than ever, ne, Shira-chan?"

She nodded rigidly, pride brimming inside her chest. Being a junior and a vice-captain is an accomplishment that she is very proud of. Who wouldn't?

"I'm sure you'll do fine leading Hyotei to victory next year, just like what I'll be doing this year."

She can hear the haughty, regal tone that is a mark of a real Hyotei Queen. Miaka Tachikawa is every inch the quintessential Hyotei Royalty. Beautiful, intelligent, deadly on the courts and insanely rich.

Of course, Shira Anazawa is hot on her heels to becoming the next Queen. Only _she_ can match up to the current Queen, and she had made a vow to herself that she is going to surpass her predecessor—_in every way possible._

"Buchou," a silent voice called out to them. She watched as Miaka-Buchou tilted her head to look at the newcomer.

"Yes?"

"We found seats for the whole team." The junior smirked as she crossed her arms in front of her, head tilted towards the courts. "They managed to attract such a big crowd. No wonder they are such favorites."

The captain just raised one elegant eyebrow at her kouhai. "Indeed. Well," she waved her hand in dismissal, "What are we waiting for? Let's grace them with our presence, ne?"

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"Why didn't I say 'no' to them?! Ugh! This is so annoying." Saiya Hyuki murmured angrily as she balanced the three bags that she is carrying in her hands. One has a couple of canned drinks, the other had an assortment of breads and snacks, and the last one had bottled water. Her team, who are currently sitting at the bleachers, 'asked' her to 'get snacks for her poor senpais'.

And her, being the dutiful kouhai that she is, complied eagerly. She regretted her decision when the whole team (a total of 8) recited their preferred buns and drinks while shoving a couple of bills towards her. After three minutes of listening to their requests, she stood alone in the middle of the street with a dazed look on her face. The barking of an expensive looking poodle shook her out of her stupor. She made her way to the snacks stands that lined up the side of the pathway of the clubhouse and bought all the snacks. She was pleasantly surprised when she managed to remember each of her senpai's preferred snack. After making her purchases, she is now trying to remember just where the rest of her team is sitting.

"Was it E4? Or F4?" she mumbled to herself while scanning the whole gymnasium for a sight of any of her teammates.

The whole clubhouse where the charity tennis tournament will be held is a huge one. According to what she heard, it has a capacity of at least 2,000, give or take a little. And to say that it was packed was an understatement.

'_I wonder if they managed to get a seat_.' She wondered as she continued her search for the elusive teammates.

Her eyes caught a blazing trail of black and red among the gathering crowd up ahead and, remembering the clothes that some of her senpais were wearing, she made her way hastily towards the group. Huffing, she planted her foot and set down the plastic bags before tapping one of the girl's shoulders.

"Akio-senpai! I've been looking for you-!" she stopped suddenly when the girl jumped away from her, seemingly surprised by her sudden appearance. Getting a good look at the girl in front of her, Saiya realized her mistake.

"Ah! Gomen ne, Gomen ne!" she bowed furiously, waving her hands around in a nervous manner. The girl looked at her weirdly. "I thought you were someone else! You were wearing the same colors so…" she trailed off when she realized that not only the girl was looking at her weirdly, but the other girls with her as well. She blinked her eyes. '_Black and red.'_

She tilted her head and scanned the other girls who were staring at her, confusion and a little bit of hostility on their faces. '_Seishun high_…'

She has heard about the team of Seishun girls who had been participating in these kinds of tennis events. Though this is the first time that her team has decided to accept the invitation to watch the games (simply because they've heard about a certain national-caliber player playing for the team), and the fact that her Buchou wanted to scout potential players.

An exaggerated cough cut through her thoughts. She turned her eyes to a girl who is now standing in front of her, her blue eyes staring at her curiously, a tentative smile in her lips. '_She seemed kind of nice.'_

"Yo." The smile got a little wider, "are you lost?"

Saiya waved her hand in front of her. "Oh! Ah…no, I am not lost." She tugged on a piece of hair, "I was just looking for my teammates and then I saw you and you were wearing the same colors as some of them so I thought you were them and so…"

A sudden laugh stopped her rambling.

"You don't have to be so nervous!" the girl leaned forward and grinned at her. "Name's Resha Takami by the way. What's yours?"

"Eh?!"

"Your name!"

"Oh…My name is Saiya Hyuki." She bowed her head, "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!"

The girl blinked several times. "Oh. You're from Rikkai right?" and then she smiled once more. "Your team is here to watch the games?! Awesome!" she then turned to the girls behind her. "Hey girls! We have to bring our A-game today! Rikkai is here!"

Saiya watched in bewilderment as some of the girls looked at her with raised eyebrows and challenging eyes. There is a total of 6 girls presently standing around her, the girl—Resha Takami—included. She can see a tall girl with short black hair and equally black eyes, beside her is a girl with dark-brown hair and light-green eyes. Another girl is sitting on her racket bag, her blue eyes smiling at her, while her black hair is in a high ponytail. The other girl was lazily tapping her feet while bobbing her pink-hair in tune to an unheard music, her eyes are closed. The other girl has curly blonde hair and green eyes, while the other one (the one she tapped earlier) has short rust-red hair (which reminded her of her senpai) and dark-cobalt blue eyes.

Resha grinned at her. "We hope you won't be bored while watching us play!"

She smiled hesitantly. "Ah…yeah. Good luck with the game." She wanted to turn and walk away, but her feet seemed to have been glued at the place. Or maybe…the way that Resha is looking at her makes her feel a little bit…different. Her blue eyes seem to sparkle with some inner light, as if she knows that Saiya is berating with herself in some inner struggle. It was quite discomfiting.

Taking a deep breath, she aimed a smile at the girl and turned on her heel.

Only to come face to face with a girl that is wearing the same smile as Resha does.

Only this time, it has much more intensity. As if those dark-brown eyes are staring down _and _through her soul. As if the owner of those eyes are reading her. Saiya didn't know what to feel.

"_Hello."_

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Tezuka Kunimitsu resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance. Fuji is testing his patience to its end—and this time, the Tensai is on the verge of succeeding.

"Fuji." His voice has a tint of warning. "Just pick out any drink and let's go."

He watched as the honey-haired Tensai brought his pointer finger to his chin and cocked his head, doing what his friend has dubbed as his 'thinking pose'.

"Saa…But I can't decide between grape and apple…banana sounds good too."

Tezuka glared at the vending machine. The said machine retaliated in silence.

More than four years of friendship has gotten him used to the quirks of the Tensai, but he is not in the mood to appreciate his friend's attempts at humor (on Tezuka's expense, of course).

A chuckle accompanied the sound of a canned drink dropping from the machine. He watched as Fuji gracefully took the drink and straightened to his full height.

"Saa…this is such a great day to be watching a tennis match, ne Tezuka?"

"Hn."

They started making their way back to the gym where the games will be played. Outside the gym, the sun is beating down at them harshly, a sure sign of the impending summer. He grimaced (mentally) at the thought.

"Na, Tezuka." He heard Fuji call out softly. He turned his eyes to see his friend gazing softly ahead.

"Hn?"

"Do you think the school board will approve of Kisana-chan's appeal to let them join next year's inter-high tennis tournament?"

"Ah."

Both of them are currently playing for their high school tennis team at Seishun High, along with some of their former team mates from junior high. Except from Kawamura, who decided to start his sushi training two years ago, and Echizen Ryoma who is currently playing abroad, the same members and regulars were back together again. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the fact that their team will never be the same again. Junior high felt so long ago.

"I see no reason for them not to grant the request." He added offhandedly.

Fuji nodded absently. "I really hope so. Kisana-chan has been working for that approval since last year."

"But even so, they lack members."

"Saa…don't worry. I heard Kisana-chan's younger sisters will be joining the club no matter what. And by the way things are right now, they have a really big chance of making it to the nationals."

"You put too much faith in them, Fuji."

"Saa…I've watched some of them play numerous times Tezuka." Fuji looked at him, a soft smirk on his lips. "Takami-chan and Kanama-chan are really good, as well as Rin-chan and Akayama-chan. And you know how good Kisana-chan is." He turned his head forward once more. "I have no doubt in my mind that they will do well if given the chance."

Tezuka wanted to say something in response to his friend's declaration, but when a sudden cheer erupted from the gym, he caught himself suddenly being dragged by the eager Fuji Shusuke.

In retrospect, he knew nothing that he would say would change his friend's view—especially if it has something to do with the girl by the name of Kisana Kurosu. He—along with his other friends and team mates—has learned that when it comes to the girl, Fuji Shusuke is anything but the Tensai that he is.

Something that neither Tezuka nor Inui can explain, or even understand.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Tezuka soon found himself seated between Atobe Keigo and Sanada Genichiro, while in front of him, Fuji and Yukimura Seichi is having a rather enthusiastic conversation about cactus and other plants.

"The probability of the Seishun team winning is 98.45%" he doesn't have to turn his head to know who stated the fact.

"Nyah! This is so exciting! They made it to the finals!" the redhead acrobat exclaimed as he glomped the nearest person to him, which is Oishi.

"Calm down, Eiji." The calm and patient ex-fukubuchou (future fukubuchou as well) chided softly.

"I can see some familiar faces from other female tennis clubs," Oshitari Yuushi commented from beside the Seigaku Tensai, a novel propped open in his hand. "Even the Hyotei Queens are here. How fascinating."

"The probability of that happening because of a certain player: 100%" Yanagi announced from beside Inui. The two are both scribbling something down in their respective notebooks. The other regulars shook their heads at the two resident data fanatics.

Down at the court, the Doubles 1 players for both teams are already warming up.

"Who will be playing for your school's team?" The Hyotei Tensai asked.

Inui flipped a page before answering his question. "Momo Sugiraki and Ai Haikawa. Both are seniors. They played for Seigaku when they were in junior high. Sugiraki-san is a left-handed baseline player, while Haikawa-san is a right-handed serve and volley player."

"A baseliner and a serve-and-volley player?" Yuushi blinked, "That's odd."

Atobe grunted. "Arn~ who decided the pairings?"

"The captain did."

The whistle sounded, and the game got on its way.

On the other side of the gym, Shira let her light-violet eyes follow the movements of the players. The Doubles 1 players from both teams are good—though compared to her and the rest of her team, still mediocre. She can see boredom etched on the elegant face of her Buchou, and she can almost hear her other team mates yawning from the lack of interest at the on-going game.

From what little information their data-gatherer (a freshman by the name of Leika Shiffer), the team has-at the most—five acceptable enough players. Judging from the performance of the Doubles 1 pair, it is clear that the two aren't part of that specific group. '_I wonder if those can really play. This is such a waste of time.'_

After almost an hour…

"Finally." She heard their Buchou exclaimed in a perfectly clipped tone, "_that_ was the lamest tennis game I have ever seen. Don't they have better players?"

A giggle erupted among the other girls.

"You can't expect them to have good players, Buchou."

Snicker. "Yeah. Seishun is lame."

To which Miaka-Buchou sighed dramatically and eyed the players with a sympathetic glance, her lips turned slightly upwards in disdain. "They are so pathetic, trying to reclaim the former glory that was smashed into dust by their own. I wonder who the pathetic being who thought up of this plan."

"The captain, Kisana Kurosu, Buchou." A soft voice answered.

"Oh?" Miaka tilted her head towards the sitting girl, head buried in her thick notebook. "Is she any good?"

"She is. She is undefeated."

Shira raised an eyebrow at that. She's heard the name, but she never was interested so she ignored the rumors attached to it.

"Hmmm. Interesting. Will she be playing then?"

"Hai. She always plays Singles 1."

A smile brightened the Queen's face. "Good. We'll stay and watch then."

_On the other hand..._

Saiya sat frozen in her seat.

Seishun has just taken the fourth game—and the fourth win. They are already declared as the winners, but as to the regulations, Singles 1 would still be played.

"_Did you see that Doubles 2 game?! It was awesome!"_

"_I never thought someone can be as graceful and deadly as that!"_

"_I swear I can see wings on her feet! Damn! That girl was __**fast**__!"_

"_I made the right decision coming here and watch this game. This is better than any games played in the thigh school tournaments!"_

All around her, people are whispering amongst themselves, all are astonished about the games that they have watched so far. Saiya, personally, has never thought that the girl she met earlier was one of the singles player of Seishun. Resha Takami is fast.

_And that other girl…_

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"I never thought they are that good." Her Buchou's voice reached her ears. Turning her head, she saw those normally clear and confident green eyes waver and clouded.

"Buchou…?"

Saeko Arisawa smiled at her. "Ah, Saiya-chan. They are good, ne?"

"Hai." '_But we're better…right?'_

"Hyotei is here."

Yes. She'd seen some of the players earlier when she was making her way back to her teammates.

"Think they're scouting as well?"

Their Buchou shrugged her shoulders. "No idea. Probably just to gloat for winning the regionals."

A sudden hush fell upon them. This year was the first time that Rikkai lost against Hyotei on the regional tournaments. It was probably the saddest day in all the history of Rikkai Dai High.

Their sudden silence was cut when a loud applause erupted. The sound was deafening, Saiya noted.

"So that's Kurosu, the captain."

"She's…_short."_

She is, Saiya agreed. The girl is probably half a head shorter than her, not to say that she is skinny as well. She was clad in a red and black jersey, hair twisted in black and red ribbons, the ends billowing in the wind. On her hand is a racket of purest black, glinting in the sun. She exuded a strong aura: a strong and deadly aura.

Saiya was about to say something to her Buchou when her eyes caught a familiar face sitting on the stands. '_Ayame-chan.'_

The girl seems to have heard her, for she turned her head just a little bit so as to face Saiya. Even from the slight distance, she can see the glint in her friend's light-green eyes. That look means one thing: Ayame has just gotten some good data. She smiled to herself. Next year, after the Nationals are over, she will take her place as the next Rikkai Dai Empress.

And she will lead her future team to victory, alongside her best friend.

'_When you become the captain,' Ayame looked at her with eyes blazing, 'that's when I will try for the regular spot.'_

'_We'll lead the team together ne, Ayame-chan.'_

_Silence. "Ah." _

"Hyuki."

"Hai!"

"Watch the game. Kurosu may just be your greatest rival in the coming year."

She eyed the girl who has just won her service game with four untouched aces.

"Hai."

Saeko Arisawa smiled to herself.

Saiya Hyuki is an extraordinarily good player, with a strong sense of discipline and a drive that rivals even her own. Makino Ishigahara may have been just a tad better technically, and Ayame Toyama may have been a player close to being a prodigy, but both of them lacks that special something that all leaders should have. The day that Saiya Hyuki emerged victorious against the Singles 2 player of Hyotei, Saeko knew she has chosen well. Only Saiya Hyuki can lead a team under the Rikkai name, and emerge victorious.

She just hopes that the girl currently dazzling the crowd wouldn't be on her protégé's way.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"_Game and Set: Kisana Kurosu. 6 games to love."_

"_Kurosu wins the match at 2 sets to love. Shake hands."_

"Two love games," Yanagi started,

"and two sets to love." Sanada finished.

"She's a monster." Yuushi offered, novel forgotten in his lap.

Fuji and Inui shared a chuckle, while Eiji grinned at the other regulars.

"Kisana-san is really good nyah!"

"So it seems," Yukimura murmured. "I wonder how she would fare against our female players though."

"There's only 23.89% possibility that she'll be able to play in equal footing against Arisawa-san." Yanagi predicted.

A snort was heard behind them. They all turned to look and were promptly surprised upon seeing two girls: one was smiling nervously at them, while the other one was busy writing something down in her notebook.

"Ah, Gomen! My sister didn't mean to…" the girl trailed off in hesitation.

"Ah, it's okay Amika-san. No harm done." Inui answered.

Yuushi raised an eyebrow at the girl—Amika. She has light-brown, almost golden shoulder-length hair, with eyes the same shade. Her skin is an exotic molten gold tone, glowing under the lights.

"Arn~ you know them?" Atobe asked Inui without looking at the data-man.

"Ah. These are Kisana-san's younger sisters: Amika and Choharu Kurosu."

"Kurosu?" Sanada asked, his eyes looking intently at the two girls.

"Aren't they the doubles pair who was undefeated?"

Oishi smiled at the two girls. "I didn't know that you'll be watching as well. We could've gone together."

Amika smiled. "Hm. We ran a little bit late. Cho here wanted to perfect one of our maneuvers and we lost track of time."

"It's not entirely my fault, Amika." Choharu grumbled, "You purchased the wrong ticket and you got us lost."

Amika flushed. "Cho-Cho!"

"Don't call me that!"

Choharu raised her face (which was buried in her notebook earlier) to stare indignantly at her sister; and Atobe resisted the urge to ogle. The girl—_Choharu_—had the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen. Mysteriously dark, deep-like the deepest wells that hides secrets, fringed with long and curling eyelashes, round and large, hidden by the glasses that she's wearing. Her face is heart-shaped, framed by dark and shiny curly hair, her skin is delicately white and smooth, a hint of pink on her high sculpted cheeks. He couldn't help but let his eyes roam her face, from her forehead, to her eyes, her cheeks, and her nose down to her lips. He has seen so many beautiful faces, but Choharu Kurosu is the only one who has rendered him speechless.

A soft laughter cut his musings (to which he was thankful).

"Cho. Amika. What are you doing up there?"

Below their seats, stood Kisana Kurosu, dark-brown eyes filled with amusement.

"Kisana-chan!" Fuji called out to the smiling girl.

"Omedetou Kisana-san!" Oishi and Eiji cried upon seeing the girl.

"Arigatou!"

Atobe watched as the Seigaku regulars chatted with the older Kurosu. Fuji leaning closer, as if wanting to get even closer to the happily laughing girl.

"So, that's the girl he has been pining after eh?" Yuushi observed.

"Hn." Tezuka answered.

"She's sort of pretty," Yukimura commented, a thoughtful look in his face, "pretty—and somewhat…different."

Meanwhile, Yanagi was looking at the two girls in front of him. He has heard about the Kurosu twins from some of the Rikkai Dai junior high players. Apparently, the two has remained undefeated all throughout the tournaments, a feat that is admirable since Hyotei and Rikkai both have strong doubles pairs in their roster. What made them better than all the other pairs? He has to know.

"Come on you two, the whole team is waiting." Kisana called out softly to the two girls. Amika smiled shyly at the male regulars, while Choharu rolled her eyes at her older sister, huffing as she shoves her notebook in her bag.

Kisana turned to Tezuka. "Ah, Tezuka-san. Do you want to talk to Rin-chan?"

Tezuka shook his head. "It can wait. It seems your team wanted to celebrate."

Kisana turned her head towards her waiting team mates. A brown-haired girl was jumping up and down while brandishing a light-green racket. Beside her, a girl with pink hair is frowning at her behavior.

"Hmm. They are a little bit too excited for our winning this tournament." She turned back to Tezuka. "I hope you enjoyed the games."

"They didn't." Choharu said, "Same with the players from Rikkai and Hyotei, and just about every high school around Tokyo."

Kisana nodded. "Ah. That's too bad."

"That's not true, Kurosu-san." Yukimura countered. "It was a good game."

Kisana laughed. "No worries Yukimura-san. I am sure you are used to watching spectacular games, being a prominent player yourself." she smiled at the others, "I hope my team will be able to entertain the next time you watch our games. I hate to disappoint twice." She bowed deeply, and then sending a smile to Seigaku regulars, turned on her heel and walked towards her waiting team. Amika followed her sister after leaving a smile and a wave, but the dark-haired sister stayed behind.

"Choharu-san…" Fuji started.

Choharu turned, her eyes dancing merrily while staring at the Rikkai Dai data-man. Inui chuckled amusedly.

"Yanagi-san." She called out to which the closed-eye male responded with a nod. "Your calculations…were incorrect. My sister has a 67.12% chance of beating Arisawa-san using her right-hand, and using her left hand," she cocked her head to the left side, her eyes crinkling as if she's thinking hard. "I'd say Kisana has 98.10% of beating her…in one hour flat." She then smiled and bowed her head before following her sisters, leaving Yanagi frozen in his feet, the others silent.

They all watched as the pink-haired girl pulled Choharu into a one-arm hug as soon as she reached them.

And then as one, the team left the courts, intent on celebrating their success.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Saiya followed her team out of the clubhouse into their school bus which was waiting for them outside.

Her team mates were still in a little bit of daze after watching the games. The Seishun girls were _good_—that she could give them, but the captain was what surprised her. Kisana Kurosu won the game without even dropping a point. She wished she could say that it was because the opponent was weak, but it wasn't the case. She's played games with Aika Himotori during their junior high school days, and Aika was _good._ For her to not even win a point…

Her Buchou suddenly stopped, making her bump into the older girl's back. '_Huh?'_

She stepped to her left and craned her neck to look past her two teammates who were in front of her.

What she saw left her breath stuck in her throat.

There, leaning on the door of their bus, smirking as if has all the rights was Miaka Tachikawa, the Hyotei Queen herself, the one who dethroned the Empress of Rikkai Dai. Beside her was her cohort, all looking at them with all the smugness they can muster. Saiya felt her fukubuchou tense.

"My, my." Miaka shook her head slowly, letting her dark-purple hair swish elegantly across her shoulder blades, "If it weren't the Empresses themselves! Oops! My bad," her lips turned downwards, "you guys were already dethroned by…oh! That was me! What a _shame_ for me to have forgotten about that!"

As if on cue, the rest of the regulars laughed condescendingly.

"Oh…sorry, that was inconsiderate of me!" Miaka continued, a feral smile in her lips. Her amber eyes literally glowed, like a tigress hunting its prey.

"Do you need anything Tachikawa?" Saeko asked in a steady voice.

One of the Hyotei girls snickered. "What does your pathetic team has that our Buchou would need for?"

"Well then, can you all please move away from our bus? We would like to leave and go home now."

Miaka chuckled darkly. She started walking slowly towards the Rikkai Team, eyes maliciously eyeing each and every one of them. Once she was at least two steps away from the captain of the opposing team, she stopped. With a smirk, she fingered Saeko's collar. Saiya saw her fukubuchou tense, but one look from their captain was enough to stop the burly senior from grabbing the Hyotei girl and throw her to the ground.

"Such a pity, Arisawa-san." She sighed dramatically, as if a heavy burden was thrown towards her. "Well, I guess we'll give you some hope for the nationals eh? How about an odd of maybe 90 to 10? Hmmm." She put her finger on her temple, while her eyes adapted a faraway look. "But that's too much. I know!" she suddenly cried out, clapping her hands together, "How about 99 to 1?! Isn't _that_ fantastic?!"

Saiya knew it took all of their hard-earned discipline to not throw caution to the winds and grab the Hyotei bitch and claw her eyes out. She can feel the raw anger that her team mates are emitting.

She can almost _smell _blood.

"Don't do anything that you will regret, Asumi." Her Buchou reminded the girl beside her.

"Demo-!"

Miaka laughed even heartily. "_Ohhh_…Listen to that!" she turned to her team mates, "captain here is reminding her team not to do anything to us! Isn't that heartwarming?!"

"As if they can do anything!"

"Well, let's see them do it. Maybe they'll end up like that pathetic excuse of a team from Seishun!"

The laughter grew even more, coupled with snickers every now and then.

"Senpai-" Shira was beside herself. She didn't know what to do. Her team mates are being over the top, although this is a usual behavior for them, their coach wouldn't be too happy if she hears about this.

On the other hand…Tachikawa-Buchou is one of the few who doesn't care about what their coach thinks.

She was about to walk forward and put a stop to the situation herself when a stray tennis ball made its way to one of her senpais-the one who has just spoken.

Giving a yelp, Mari-senpai jumped sideways, trying to avoid the speeding ball that was heading towards her face. Doing so, she pushed the other girls who were standing on her left, causing the four of them to topple and fall down. It was such a disgraceful sight.

Shira turned her head towards the direction where the ball came from- and saw a girl with light-blue hair and dark-eyes bouncing a ball in her left hand, a light-blue racket on her right.

Mari-senpai angrily pushed herself up and dusted her clothes, her eyes becoming angry slits.

"You bitch!"

She started walking angrily towards the calmly waiting girl.

"Is there anything wrong Sanae-san?" a soft, cold voice stopped the enraged girl in her tracks.

Shira's eyes widened as she saw the smiling girl, staring at her senpai as if nothing is wrong.

"Get out of the way, you bitch." Mari snarled.

Kisana chuckled amusedly, all the while looking at Mari curiously. "I cannot do that- You see, Miyu-chan here is my teammate, and I cannot let anyone like you hurt her."

Mari's eyes widened. "_Anyone like me_?!" she screeched, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Kisana blinked. "Oh. Well, I am Kisana Kurosu. Yoroshiku!" she smiled while extending her hand.

Mari's snarl became a smirk as she eyed the girl's extended hand. Grabbing it with hers, she gripped it: hard.

But her eyes widened when she felt the other girl's grip tightened around her hand. She tried retracting her hand, but the other girl wouldn't even budge. She gasped as she felt her fingers being squeezed too tightly.

"By the way, I don't like it when insignificant people make fun of my school." She opened her eyes, and Mari felt a shiver run down her spine. "It would be for your own good to remember that."

The grip tightened even more when she scoffed. She gasped loudly at the sound of her bones breaking.

"FINE! I won't make fun of your team now let go of my hand!" Mari all but shouted.

Kisana immediately let go of the hand. "Oh! Gomen! I guess I was still a little bit excited from playing." She smiled once more, before turning and walking away from the scene.

Meanwhile, Saeko sidestepped Miaka and made her way towards the bus door where three of the Hyotei girls were still sprawled out. She merely looked at them, before opening the door and beckoning for her team to follow her lead.

Saiya watched as her team mates started walking towards the bus. She remained.

She didn't know why she remained rooted on her spot. She can hear Miaka Tachikawa breath ruggedly few steps away from her, she's probably angry at what happened. She still cannot understand why the purple-haired captain hated Arisawa-Buchou so much. Her animosity is more than just because of rivalry-it runs deeper than a high school tennis rivalry.

The Hyotei captain stomped her way towards the other senior, all along shouting at her other team mates to hurry up so they can leave the forsaken place. The other girls scrambled to obey the command.

Only one of the girls remained.

Saiya stared at the other girl, her long dark-blue, almost black hair, in a ponytail at the top of her head, light violet eyes staring at her. She can feel the intensity behind the stare: there's animosity, challenge, and something else she cannot discern.

All that she knows is that she cannot afford to drop her own stare.

Shira let her violet eyes look at the girl opposite her. She has thick black hair that is highlighted with red streaks, amber-gold eyes. Her stance is somewhat…awkward, but there is something...yes, strength. And something more.

She knows her-Saiya Hyuki, the future captain of Rikkai Dai, the one who flattened one of their singles player during the regionals, one of the two players who were able to win against her team. She is _good_.

And the fact that she will be a captain like her makes Shira all the more apprehensive about the other girl.

They stood there; two girls from two different teams,

'_My team is better.'_

…heading towards the same direction,

'_I will make my team even better.'_

…_._with the same conviction_,_

'_I will be the best.'_

…And only one goal in mind:

'_I will win.'_

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_Victory is more than just a word…_

_Its conviction_

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_


	2. Chapter 2

Hey y'all! This is the second part of the prologue for this story. The first part, as you can see, happened during the junior year of most of the characters (the same applies to original PoT characters such as Tezuka, Fuji and co.). This time, I tried to give a little bit of insight on some of the major OC's in this story. And yes, the female captains will have major parts in this story. The three OC teams (Seishun, Rikkai and Hyotei) would definitely be the main focus of the story.

This story will be a little slow in progress, the reason for this is that I want their personalities to develop before jumping into some major points in the story.

Anyways, enough with my rambling. If you guys have any questions or suggestions or violent reactions (I hope not), please feel free to message me. Read and Review guys! :)

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_**Disclaimer:** _I am but a poor soul who couldn't save a cent to save my life. So, yeah, PoT will never be mine. The OC's are mine though.

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**Prologue Part II: This is Where We Start**

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_1__st__ week of April, Senior Year, Rikkai Dai High_

Niou Masaharu stared amusedly at the female captain of Rikkai Dai tennis team, Saiya Hyuki, who is currently glowering at his captain, Yukimura Seichi. '_Such an amusing sight'_. It's the third day of his senior year, and things are looking up (_at least for him_).

"We needed this court for the selection matches, and look at what your team member has done to it!" the black-haired captain angrily stomped her feet as she waved her hand towards the courts-which is covered in hot-pink sticky…goo. Masaharu covered a snicker with a cough.

"Hyuki-san, how sure are you that Masaharu-kun was the one who did this?" the effeminate captain asked gently.

"No other person in all of Rikkai can ever do this kind of thing Yukimura-san, you know that."

"But even so, you don't have any concrete evidence against him, do you?" he argued.

Saiya gritted her teeth in anger. She absolutely _hates_ arguing with Yukimura Seichi. He's so damn infuriating. "Look Yukimura-san," she tried again, this time, in a calmer tone. "We are running out of time as it is, discussing over this matter. Can't we just arrive at an acceptable compromise and start from there?"

Yukimura nodded his head, a soft smile ever-present on his lips. "As you wish Hyuki-san. Since your side of the courts is unavailable at the moment, you may make use of ours."

Saiya bit her tongue to stop the retort that was threatening to escape. "Arigatou, Yukimura-san." After giving a stiff bow, she turned on her heel and went back to where the girls are waiting.

Watching the black-haired girl walk out of the clubroom, Yukimura couldn't help but sigh in what would've been annoyance or irritation. Masaharu should really stop pulling pranks like this. But being teammates for more than a few years now, he knew that the Trickster wouldn't just stop from what he considers as his 'past time'. It is quite irritating-he must admit- but even if he is the captain, what goes on with his members' personal lives (or whatever they are doing during their free time) was not part of his responsibility. As long as their activities do not affect their tennis, then he really has nothing to say about it.

Picking up his racket from the table, he shrugged his shoulders once and went out of the clubroom into the courts. Might as well watch the girls play tennis. He is sure that the guys were watching as well, considering that he offered their courts for the said selection matches. Oh well. Nothing he could about it now.

He just hopes that Sanada wouldn't be too annoyed by that fact.

As it turned out, Sanada is—annoyed, that is.

"We need to practice more than them Yukimura! What were you thinking offering them the use of our courts?!" Sanada all but growled out him, not even hiding his displeasure of not being able to play today.

"Ah…But Sanada-kun, Hyuki-chan asked me if they can use it today! I couldn't refuse such a request from a lady, could I?"

"'Lady' my foot. Hyuki is a monster." Bunta murmured under his breath. Masaharu smirked as he high-fived his teammate.

Sanada turned his glare to the silver-haired senior.

"This is Masaharu's fault!"

The silver-haired regular adapted an affronted look. "Eh?! Why me, fukubuchou?! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Marui rolled his eyes as he popped his gum. "Yeah, yeah. We believe you whole-heartedly, Masaharu."

"Why, thank you Bunta!"

The two smirked at each other. Sanada popped a vein.

"30 laps around the court. NOW!"

"Hai, hai!"

Jackal just shook his head at the two. He couldn't really understand why they just wouldn't stop pulling on pranks on everybody.

During their junior high school days, Masaharu and Marui have done tricks that could even put any master prankster into shame. From exploding balls filled with anything ranging from slimy to disgusting, to sneaking pretentious love letters to unsuspecting males and females (often resulting to various degrees of embarrassment), to sabotaging couples sneaking during lunchtimes (this at least has its merits) to the all-time favorite of sticking-gums-on-someone-else's-desks-and-tables. And oh! Who wouldn't forget about the classic eraser-and-bucket-at-the-door-frame and condoms' deliveries…to professors?

And it only got worse during high school. The two remained thick as thieves. Planning their pranks with utmost precision, a meticulousness that can only be achieved by people who are downright intelligent and sneaky. If only they would invest the same enthusiasm to other things such as studying, then Jackal wouldn't mind too much. As it is, aside from tennis, pranking is of the utmost importance to the two. He wouldn't even be surprised if the two are planning pranks as they run around the courts.

The sounds of approaching footsteps alerted him from his thoughts.

"Have you heard of the news?" Yagyuu asked while fixing his glasses.

Sanada grunted but remained silent, while Yukimura tilted his head towards the silent-data man.

"What news?"

"Well, aren't you curious as to why Hyuki-san is adamant at picking out regulars this early?"

The others nodded. "Why is it?"

Yagyuu sighed, a soft smirk on his lips. "Seishun was granted permission to join this year's inter-high school tennis tournaments."

"Oh."

Their eyes went to the silently standing female at the courts.

"I see."

"Hyuki-san seemed hell-bent on defending the championship eh?" Jackal commented.

Yukimura chuckled. "There's a lot of pressure, since most critics weren't too convinced of their win last year. They were saying it was a fluke."

"The probability of that being true is: 67.09%" Yanagi finally said. "Hyotei wasn't at their best when they played last year, while Josei Shonan and Shitenhouji were lacking in power and skills. There wasn't any real competition last year."

"I don't understand. They did well. Why would people doubt them?" Jackal asked, a frown on his face.

"Well," Yagyuu shrugged, "You weren't there at the match right? So you didn't see how easy it was for them to thrash the floor against the other teams. The games weren't national tournament quality."

"But why are they worried about Seishun? I didn't even know that the school has female tennis team."

"They have, but the team was banned from inter-high tournaments two years ago." Yagyuu explained, "The ban has just been lifted today."

"Are the players that good that Hyuki-san needed to be worried?" Sanada asked, his stony face watching as the two male seniors run.

"Remember Kurosu from last summer?" Yanagi asked; Sanada nodded slowly. "She is the captain."

Silence followed his statement.

In the distance, they all saw as the girls line up in front of the captain; some are huffing and panting, but there are some who are admirably standing there with nothing but a few streak of sweat on their foreheads. It seemed some of the weaker ones are already weeded out. It's only a matter of time before they'd be able to see real tennis action from the girls.

Jackal hoped that it would be enough to appease Sanada's annoyance at not being to play today.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

The sound of whistle blasted through the tennis courts of Rikkai Dai High.

"Members!" Saiya Hyuki shouted through the crowd of Rikkai girls wearing tennis outfits. "We will start with the regulars selection matches! Please proceed to the bulletin board to see which court you'll be playing."

Her command was followed by murmurs from some overly excited players, while others lagged behind. Three days into the first week of school, and Saiya is already picking out her regular players. Her fukubuchou, Makino Ishigahara, commented that it was too early to be holding selection matches.

To which Saiya responded that she wanted to start preparing for the upcoming season earlier. There's nothing like early preparation. That was one of the things that she has learned from Arisawa-Buchou.

She remembered how the older girl pushed all of them to their limits, few days after the culmination of the regional tournaments. They doubled everything on their training menu; they started practice one hour earlier than usual, even going as far as practicing on Saturdays and half-days on Sundays.

Some said they were possessed, or even worse, obsessed with winning the national trophy.

And they were.

They played their hardest, and they pushed themselves beyond limits. In the end, all of their endeavors paid off. They took home the glory that was once theirs, but was taken by the same team that collapsed due to its own players: Seishun High.

The thought brought her back to more than a few months ago—when they watched the Seishun team play on a charity tournament event. The way they played…

She shook her head. Thinking about what happened that day would do her no good. She has to focus on what is happening now…and what would happen in the future.

No use in lingering somewhere in the past.

She has a team to create.

New players to build up.

And a championship to defend.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

If there is one thing that Shira Anazawa despised, it is when people disobey her.

And when someone disobeys her, she is not in the very least—_happy._

And when Shira Anazawa is unhappy-someone has to pay.

"Run 20 laps around the courts. Now." she hissed at the trembling girl in front of her. "Anyone else who wants to run laps?" she narrowed her eyes at the girls in front of her.

She heard her fukubuchou, Kyera Atobe sigh in annoyance behind her.

"Buchou, let's just start the selection matches. Don't bother with those weaklings." The girl huffed, "only weaklings would complain about how we decide on our line-up."

She tried to ignore the haughty female. "Hyotei does not accept whiny, good-for-nothing players. If you cannot measure up to my standards, then you have no business here."

Some of the girls shuffled nervously on their feet, some eyed each other with fear in their eyes. The tension around the court was so heavy it is almost constricting.

Hyotei is no place for people with weak resolve.

And there's no way that Shira will let those kind of people taint her school's reputation. Weeding them out as early as possible is a must.

"Well, I'd say we have at least 30 people left here." Kyera commented from her side, "I think that's enough number, ne?"

"Hn." She walked towards where their junior ace is standing, writing something in her notebook.

"Shiffer." She called out to the black-haired girl, "Give me a stat of all the players which were left."

Violet eyes flicked towards her, darker only by a shade than her own. Shira sometimes found herself wondering just how the normally reserve junior can transform from a shy, nerdy girl to a calculative monster at the courts. Not that she's complaining.

"Hai, Buchou."

As she listen to the younger girl rattle on the girl's stats, playing styles and other relevant information, she let her eyes scan the girls practicing in front of her. They are already paired-up, randomly of course, and are now just waiting for the captain to blow the whistle and start the selection competition.

Her eyes landed on a senior girl with short red-brown hair and green eyes.

"That's Mira Yuushi. Senior." She heard Leika saying, "Height: 167 cm. weight: 42 kg., Right-handed, she was a member since last year but Tachikawa-Buchou didn't let her play in the team though she has repeatedly beaten some of the former regulars." A page was flipped, "She seems to be a power player."

Saiya knows the girl. She has played with Yuushi last year, and she knows her abilities. She actually thought it weird that the girl wouldn't play in official matches. It seems their former Buchou lets her favoritism get the best of her.

"I want her to play against Iyomi." She declared, "I want to know which one would win: Yuushi's power or Iyomi's speed."

Leika nodded. "That can be arranged, considering there's an even 94.09% for them to both get into the final eight."

"Right." She nodded, "Tell me something about those twins."

"Ah. The Madera twins." The data-analyst pushed her glasses up on her nose. "The older one is Shin, the one with shorter hair and bangs. She's more of a game-maker, though she can play singles well. She's left-handed, 164 cm. tall, 40 kg. She prefers to be at the baseline when playing doubles."

"A left-handed baseliner doubles player?"

"Hai. Quite rare, if you ask me." She flipped another page. "Her younger twin sister, the one with long blonde hair, Shizuka Madera. She's a right-handed volleyist, but she can play the aggressive baseliner part as well. She has a very unique style of play. I've never seen her play singles though. 164 cm., 41 kg."

Shira eyed the twins. From a distance, the two looked exactly the same, though their hair styles were a bit different. Shin, the older one, seemed more of the authoritative type—self-assured player, while the younger twin, Shizuka, seemed to be the more supportive type.

"They can be one of the best doubles pair Hyotei would ever had." Leika stated, "being twins are a big advantage, they understand each other perfectly; no need for signs. Also, it will be easy for them to use common doubles formations since they're of the same height, and identical as well."

Shira nodded absently. Hyotei has always had national-level players, but their doubles roster has never reached the same heights as their singles. Maybe it's because of differences between the two players—it's really rare to see people like Ohtori and Shishido, or Mukahi and Oshitari—who can play doubles like nobody's business. Trust between doubles partner is something that can only be cultivated over time; and Shira felt that she doesn't have the liberty of time.

"Let's hope they can make it."

Leika closed her notebook. "So which court will I be playing?"

Shira eyed the other wryly. "You don't have to play, Leika-san. You've been a regular since last year."

The other girl shook her head. "Even so. Except from you and the fukubuchou, everybody else should play for their spots. That includes me."

Shira resisted the urge to sigh and roll her eyes. Leika Shiffer is one hell of a stubborn girl. If only she knew that this girl would be like this, she would have done something earlier. As it is, she is stuck with the stubborn junior all year-round.

She watched as the younger girl walked towards her own racket bag, intent on getting a little bit of a warm-up before they start playing.

She wanted to have an early start, so she can start honing her team's talents and skills. She doesn't want to be caught off guard, like what happened during last year's national tournaments.

When they lost, and let the championship slip out of their grasp.

They were so close…

But their captain has become lenient; insisting that they didn't need to be worried. After all, if they have beaten Rikkai once; they'd do it again.

But they didn't even get make it to the finals. The Shitenhouji High school female tennis team wiped the floor against her team during the semi-finals. Only one doubles pair was able to snag a win against the dark-horse Shitenhouji: her and Kyera Atobe. She couldn't shake the feeling of despair every time she thinks about that day.

What made it even worse was that right after their defeat; the whole team of Rikkai Dai appeared after defeating the then 3rd seed, Josei Shonan Girl's Tennis team. She will never forget the look of triumph that was written all over the face of each and every member of that team.

She told herself that she will do everything just so she wouldn't feel that way again.

Her gaze sharpened when Kyera handed her the whistle, a challenging glint in those dark-gray eyes.

'_Are you ready?' _

'_Yes.'_

Kyera smirked, and Shira couldn't help but be reminded of the person with the same look on his face: cocky, proud and arrogant.

"Let's do this."

"Hai, Buchou."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_In another part of Tokyo…_

Kisana Kurosu calmly sat down at the chair opposite the panel. Today is the day when the school board would give their decision regarding her appeal. She is confident about the result, but still, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She can't fail here. If she does, two years of hard work will go down the drain. She can't let that happen.

"Kurosu-san."

"Hai."

"Please tell us why we should lift the ban from the team."

She smiled at the head panel. Taking a deep breath, she started talking.

She has always been good at convincing people; something that she didn't really like. Everytime she does this, she feel dirty…disgusted even. But she knows that in order to get what she wants, she has to embrace her manipulative side. It is not something that she is proud of, but it is part of her, so there's nothing left for her to do but to accept it and make better use of it.

"The former team was suspended because of violent actions by its captain and some of her members," one of the panels said, "how can we be sure that same thing won't happen again?"

She let out a soft laugh. "Akimoto-san, have I ever done something that is close to violence here in Seishun?"

The old man shook his head, smile lingering on his lips.

"I am not violent, and I can assure you that the members of the team aren't as well. If any of us so much as show a hint of being violent inside and outside the courts—without undue reasons, of course-then I will personally retract form the team."

"That is quite acceptable, Kurosu-san."

"But only if the reason is unacceptable, of course." She reiterated, putting emphasis.

The panel members nodded their heads. "Of course."

She smiled softly, a fond look on her face. "The team has won numerous tournaments for the last two years, and all of the members have good academic and behavioral records. Isn't it time to let us be acknowledged for what we really are?" she implored at them through hard brown-eyes. "We are tennis layers—athletes—we wanted to be remembered as such, not just as a bunch of students who resorts to playing charity tournaments because they aren't good enough for the real thing. And we _are_ good enough, Akimoto-san."

It was-at the very least-maybe one of her best performances, Kisana thought as she stared outside the window. She is currently standing at an empty hallway, leaning on the window panel while waiting for the school board to come to a decision.

She can see some of the school's sports club members scurrying about at the school grounds. It may be only be just the first week of the new school year, but Seishun High seems very eager for the upcoming season. '_Oh yeah,'_ she thought as she saw the soccer team run their laps from a distance, '_soccer would be the first to be played this year.'_ Followed by basketball, and then almost at the same time, volleyball. Around the first two weeks of June, the tennis season will start. They have to get to practice as soon as possible. The district tournaments would be the first one to conquer.

Not that she is worried about winning.

Sighing to herself, she shifted her weight on her left foot. She's always been good at waiting, but right now, all she wanted to do is get this over with so she can start playing real tennis. The last two years was such a pain.

'_How long would it take them to make a decision already?'_

She sighed once more.

"Impatient already, Kisana-chan?"

Fuji Shusuke chuckled at the surprised look on the girl's face. He felt secretly delighted when he saw the faint pink hue that is creeping in her cheeks.

He didn't mean to catch her unaware…he didn't even know that she was here.

But upon reaching the top floor where the main office of the school board can be found, his eyes immediately fell upon the girl who was silently leaning at the window, her mind seemingly miles away. He couldn't resist the temptation of just looking at her—studying her profile shamelessly.

He walked the few steps that were separating them, all the while smiling and keeping an eye on her expression.

"What are you doing here Fuji-san?" she asked silently when he reached her side.

Placing himself at less than an arm's length away from her, he tucked his left hand on his slack's pocket, while his right hand fell on his side. "Saa…I was asked by Tezuka to look for Ryuzaki-sensei. I couldn't see her at other parts of the school so I thought I'd look here."

She blinked. "Oh."

He smiled at her. "And you, Kisana-chan? What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for the school board's decision."

"Ah. I see."

One of the things that cemented his attraction to her, was her unfailing determination to revive the Seishun female tennis club. A feat that a lot of people tried for the last two years, but no one has ever done. He admired her dedication for that certain goal.

"I'm certain they'll lift the ban Kisana-chan." he said gently.

"I know," she smiled, "but I still feel a little bit nervous. I don't even know why."

"Maybe you're just excited?" he offered. "After all, this will be different from the last two years, isn't it?"

She hummed, nodding her head slightly. "Maybe."

The door to the room suddenly opened, and her name was called. He watched with a smile as she walked steadily towards the room, a picture of confidence. Deciding he would wait for her, he leaned at the wall and looked out of the window. Tezuka is surely wondering where he had gone by now. He chuckled to himself. Sometimes his captain needed a good shaking up just to make things a little bit more…non-monotonous.

The club this year has some promising juniors and seniors. Of course, most of them couldn't even hold a candle to his former teammates. Good thing Kaidoh-kun and Momoshiro-kun have joined them by the end of last year, right after the former captain stepped down and passed on the title down to Tezuka.

Inui told him that Yukimura became the Rikkai captain after exactly 27 hours, 21 minutes and 45.12 seconds. Of course, Atobe Keigo wouldn't want to be outdone. The Hyotei King was declared 'officially' as the captain 23 minutes prior to Tezuka.

"_Ore-sama expects both Rikkai and Seigaku to perform at Ore-sama's magnificent level during the tournaments!"_

He can only shake his head at Atobe's diva-ness and show of self-importance when they all met up and celebrated. It was quite an affair, with almost all of the rowdy high school male players shouting and eating and kicking and trying to kill each other. By the time it was midnight, only Tezuka, Sanada, Yukimura and himself were sober enough (most of them were riding on a sugar high, and too much tennis it seemed) to decide that it was better not to do the same thing again in the near future (he felt inclined to disagree but one look at Eiji and Momo trying to strangle each other by their feet, he agreed with just a little bit of hesitation).

But the picture he captured that of Tezuka losing his composure was enough to appease his fickle mind.

Not that his friend know of it, which makes it all the better.

A sound of movement from the room opposite him caught his attention, and he felt his heart hammer in anticipation as the door opened and revealed Kisana.

"How was it-"

He was cut off when she run to him and threw her arms around his neck, the impact forcing him to step back, before he caught and steadied himself. He let out a soft chuckle as he tentatively brought his arm around her.

She pushed him a little, as she brought her face up.

He felt his breath got caught in his throat as he gazes at her glowing face.

"They lifted it! They said they'll support the team fully!" she said in an excited rush, her voice unusually high pitched—"They said the team has done so well and that a lot of people were so amazed by us and that-"

She rambled on and on, but he didn't mind. He liked listening to her voice. She's always so reserved, so refined and he knew that it takes so much for her to act like a normal high school girl who has just been granted unlimited shopping spree for the shopping district in Ginza. He relishes in the thought that he may have been the only one beside her team or family to see her like this.

"I knew you can do it Kisana-chan."

Her smile could've rivaled the sun.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"_Game and Match: Akiko Moriyama. 6 games to 1!"_

"YAY! I won! I won! Did'ya see that Saki-chan?!" Akiko Moriyama danced her way to her cousin, Saki Moriyama who was standing outside the courts with a bored look on her face. She finished all of her games half an hour ago.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. Now shut up." she rolled her eyes at the enthusiastic girl. Akiko pouted and started ranting about unsupportive cousins and what-not.

Saiya couldn't help but stare in amazement at the gray bundle of energy that is Akiko Moriyama. She turned her head to her fukubuchou who was holding the clipboard in her right hand.

"Did you just say that she was a freshman?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"You know I did."

"But-"

"She's good." Makino sighed, "Though I'm not sure if it is a good idea to have her in the regular line-up."

"But it would be unfair for her, don't you think?" Saiya countered, "not including her in the line-up just because she's a freshman. We cannot deprive her of being a regular, especially if she deserves it."

Makino frowned but didn't answer. Instead, she averted her eyes to the red-headed girl heading their way. Saiya smiled at her friend.

"How did it go?"

"I won." Ayame answered in a bored tone, "6 games to love."

Saiya grinned, while Makino stiffened. "Good job Aya-chan!"

Ayame smiled.

"I'll check on the other courts." Makino was suddenly walking away from the two. Saiya sighed, while Ayame lifted her shoulder once.

"She's still bitter about that huh?"

"What do you expect?" Saiya answered in an even tone, "she's been in-love with him for almost two years, and then you came and then snatch him away. Not that it's your fault of course."

Ayame didn't answer.

If anything, Saiya knew her friend doesn't give a care whether Makino is angry at her or whatever. Ayame is the kind of person who doesn't care what people thinks of her in general. As long as they are not being complete pests, the redhead wouldn't a thought at all.

"You choosing her?" Ayame suddenly asked.

Following her friend's line of sight, she nodded once in confirmation. "She is good. I've never seen a freshman with that kind of stamina and play. I wonder why she didn't join back in junior high."

"Beats me. But if her training partner is anything like Saki Moriyama and she is still alive, then it means she's got some stuff in her."

Saiya hummed.

"Who else made it?"

"Kiseki Mayamu and Rika Kansuki." Saiya smirked upon reciting the names of the girls who were still playing. "I am confident that they'll make it this year."

Ayame nodded approvingly. "Those two are one of the best doubles pair during our junior high years, right?"

"Yes. I can't believe they weren't part of the team last year."

"I'm sure there is a reason why they aren't, Hyuki-Buchou."

Saiya rolled her eyes at her while bumping her shoulder with hers. "Oh, come off it Aya-chan!"

Ayame turned her eyes at the girl beside her. She know of Saiya's anxiousness about this year's season, they have talked about it often enough for her to come to the conclusion that her friend is nearly obsessed with the thoughts of it. Remembering what happened last year after the nationals championship was something that she doesn't really want to do, but for her bestfriend, she'll endure it.

After all, she did make a promise: to stand beside Saiya as she proves to the whole country that last year wasn't a fluke.

"By the way," Ayame said, "Kisana Kurosu has started selecting players for her team yesterday."

Saiya's shoulders tensed, but her voice was calm when she asked. "Do you have any ideas about the players?"

"Well, it was quite hard to obtain that specific information. Though, considering she still has her previous members from last year, and the fact that her twin sisters are entering Seishun this year, it wasn't that hard to come up with some conclusions."

Saiya nodded. "Tell me later then. For now," she picked up her racket which was lying on the ground, "time to meet the new members of the team." She stated walking towards where the tall fukubuchou was, flanked by two other girls—one with curly strawberry-blonde hair, and the other with ash-blonde hair. "Are you coming?" she asked while looking at her over her shoulder.

Ayame has to smile at that. "Hai, Buchou."

~**~~~Ж~~~~**

"Wasn't too bad huh?"

Shira spared her fukubuchou a glance before looking back at the paper in her hands.

The result of the selection matches was, at the very least, predictable. Still, the result of the games left something to be amazed and hesitant of.

"I have no qualms about Shin Madera," Shira stated, "but I feel like Shizuka didn't really give it her all during her match with her twin sister."

She had the twins have a one-set match just to determine who the better player between the two is. The result was a staggering 6-2 victory for the older twin. Shira felt like Shizuka played to lose the game.

"Well, maybe she doesn't feel comfortable playing against her sister." Kyera answered. "Why are you so worried? You are putting them as a doubles pair, right?"

"Yes, of course." She answered, too quickly. Kyera raised an eyebrow.

"If that is the case, you don't have to worry about their singles play, right?"

Shira nodded.

"Iyomi and Yuushi are fantastic by the way. That was one of the best games I have watched for the last two years."

The game between the two seniors had the Hyotei buzz going. It was a classic 9-7 game, which the power player won, only because Iyomi's racket's strings gave out during that last point. If that didn't happen, who knows how long the game is going to take.

"It was." Shira agreed. "I still can't believe Iyomi and Yuushi didn't play any games last year."

Kyera shrugged, tossing her bluish-gray hair behind her shoulder. "And Shiffer totally flattened Takegawa. I thought that girl would have at least some fight in her, but your junior ace is unrelenting." She chuckled. "Seems to me you have chosen your successor well."

Shira let a proud smile grace her lips. "I know."

To say that Leika Shiffer dominated her opponent was an understatement. The one set game was Shiffer's alone, Takegawa not even winning a single point off the junior girl. Shira knew that wasn't even half of Leika's potential. Leika deserves her place as the Singles 3 player of the newly formed Hyotei team.

"We have the twins for Doubles 1, and Yuushi and Iyomi for Doubles two. You'll be Singles 2." Shira announced, tapping the paper with her finger. "Is that good enough for you?"

Kyera stared at her with a flat look in her gray-eyes. "Good enough for me. The question is: is it good enough?"

"It is."

Kyera has to smile at the conviction in her captain's voice. She only met her a year ago, when she transferred out of St. Mary's to Hyotei. Though they are both juniors, she noticed that the other girl is in a league of her own.

"Well then, let's go and make some announcements."

"Ah. Let's."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

There was a sense of hushed excitement going around the Seishun High campus. Students, especially female, are currently crowding the bulletin board placed in front of the building.

"_Oh my God!"_

"_Finally! Hey, wanna sign-up with me?"_

"_YAY! Maybe I can be a regular!"_

"_Dream on. The former members have already signed-up. There's no way we'll be able to beat them!"_

"_Do you think they'll accept former badminton players?"_

"_Hey shove off! I wanna sign-up!"_

"Whoah!" Momoshiro exclaimed when a new wave of girls suddenly rushed towards the bulletin board. "They sure are energetic huh."

"Of course they are baka." Kaidoh hissed behind him, "All of them have been waiting for that announcement since last year."

Momoshiro ignored his team mate's jibe; instead, he eyed the girls curiously. "I just hope they know what they are getting into." He mumbled.

"The probability of them joining to get closer to the male regulars: 93.40%"

The two juniors turned to see the resident data-man walking with the rest of their team.

"Saa…that's embarrassing." The Tensai chuckled.

"Unyah! I hope Ryuzaki-chan will make it!" exclaimed the redhead acrobat, whose arm was slung around his doubles partner, and fukubuchou, Oishi.

"Ah. I'm sure she will."

"Probability of that happening: 81.29%" Inui predicted.

"That's good enough, I think." Oishi said.

"Can we watch the games, Buchou?" Eiji asked, a sheepish smile in his face. "I really wanna see just how much Sakuno-chan has improved!"

"Yeah Buchou! Let's watch the games!" Momoshiro added.

"Hn."

Fuji smiled. "That means 'yes', na Tezuka?"

"Watch or run 50 laps around the courts." His glare intensified when Eiji and Momoshiro protested. "For a month if you don't stop now."

The two slumped dejectedly.

"Baka peach." Kaidoh said. This prompted a heated argument between the two rival juniors.

The rest just shook their heads at the two bickering juniors.

* * *

Large-gray eyes eyed the crowd that is currently gathered in front of the bulletin board.

She wanted to sign her name up, but couldn't find the chance since almost 92.34% of the female population of Seishun High is currently standing and waiting for their chance as well. She only has two options: one is to wait until the bell rings and the students go to their rooms for classes—but she may have 56.10% chance of being late for her own class—not that that was a problem, but still. Second is to go back later, preferably during lunchtime. Problem is, 67.11% of the female students may have the same idea, so the probability of her not being able to sign-up is around 71.06%. Both options don't look good.

Or, she thought with a slight hesitation, she can just seek out the acting captain of the team and sign-up personally. The thought brought a blush on her face.

'_I couldn't possibly do that, now can I? It would be too embarrassing!'_

She shook the thought out of her head. There's no other way then. She would have to go with the second option. After all, she can just finish her calculus test 15 minutes earlier than usual. Then she would have enough time to come down and write her name down at the list.

Making up her mind, she turned on her heel and walked towards the stairs. She has her first class in 15 minutes. She doesn't want to be late.

She walked on carefully, keeping her head down and darting her eyes around every now and then. She doesn't want to risk the chance of bumping into others. It always ended up on her being on the receiving end of some of the girls' glares and shrieking insults. Seishun High is a typical private high school, so the possibility of her being bullied is around 61.11%, 16.00% higher than her previous school. Not that the situation is new. She's used to it by now.

Approaching the stairs, she turned on her right and took the first two steps.

The next thing she knew, she was on her back on the ground, and staring up at surprised green eyes.

"Ah! Gomen, Gomen!" the girl hastily got off of her and started bowing her head furiously. "I was running too fast and I was not looking at where I was going! I'm so sorry! Here," she extended her right hand, "let me help you up."

She blinked her eyes at the stretched appendage in front of her. This is the first time that someone has offered her help in standing up. Surely this wasn't one of their schemes?

"Oi," she heard a gruff voice behind the girl in front of her, "you might have bumped into her so hard you knocked up her brain. You're too careless, Hakeyama."

The girl in front of her scoffed but didn't answer. "Hey, you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Do I need to take you to the infirmary? Oh my god! What if you break something!" she looked scared now.

"Uh…I'm okay…I guess." She mumbled. The girl breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God! Here, get up."

"Oh." The other girl said, "You're in our class, right?"

"Yeah! I remember now!" the other girl (the one who bumped into her) clapped her hands, her green-eyes round; "You're the super duper smart girl in our class! I'm Rin Hakeyama! Yoroshiku!"

She blinked her eyes. "Uh. I'm Hina. Hina Fumiko." She mumbled. "Yoroshiku."

Rin grinned at her. "I am so sorry for bumping into you! Sairi here was chasing me. It was her fault!"

Sairi snorted as she tossed her pink hair, her soft-crimson eyes looking at the other girl with a glare. "It was your fault for stealing my manga. That was a new release and I haven't read it."

Rin ignored her. "Anyway, are you sure you aren't hurt Fumiko-chan? I can accompany you to the clinic if you want!"

"Uh…no, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Sairi drawled, "Hakeyama here has the hardest skull I've ever known. You might have some concussion."

"I'm sure. I am not feeling or exhibiting the symptoms for concussion. Besides, the impact wasn't enough to cause any damage internally nor external. Although it may take some more time for me to feel anything if that was the case." She clamped her lips upon seeing the reaction of the two girls in front of her. 'Great,' she thought. She did it again. Perfect. Now they will think she's some kind of a freak.

Rin blinked her eyes at her, mouth slightly parted, while Sairi chuckled.

"Ah. So you're quite the genius, eh? Interesting." She walked two steps forward and extended her hand towards her. "Name's Sairi Akayama. Nice to meet 'ya."

Hina blinked her gray eyes at the girl. She seemed nice enough, but a little bit on the rough side.

"Ah. Same here Akayama-san."

Sairi smirked, but her stance becomes rigid when her eyes caught something in front of her. She nudged Rin with her elbow.

"Ow! What the hell Akayama!" Rin exclaimed while running her hand on her side, a frown on her face.

"Baka. Shut up."

Hina stared at the two in curiosity. She was about to ask them when a cheerful voice stopped her.

"My, My. Sairi-chan! How many times do I have to remind you not to use crude language when you're inside the school building hmm?"

"Gomen, Resha-fukubuchou." The pink-haired girl murmured.

Hina turned her head to see a girl with tangerine-orange hair grinning at her. Her blue eyes are warm and welcoming. "Well, just don't do it again or I will have to implement some punishments then." She tried to adopt a serious look on her face (which Hina thought doesn't suit her at all).

"More importantly," another girl—this one has light-blue hair and dark eyes—said, "what all of you are doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in your classes?"

"Gomen Miyu-senpai!" Rin scratched her head, "Sairi-chan here is chasing me earlier and then I bumped into Fumiko-chan here and that's when you found us!"

Resha sighed. "Oh dear. You aren't hurt are you?" her eyes flicked towards Hina.

"Uh...anou, no. I wasn't hurt." She mumbled shyly.

Miyuki smiled softly. "Gomen ne, Fumiko-san. These two are just a little bit too rowdy for their own good."

"Hey!" Rin protested.

"Hmm…is there a strategic meeting I wasn't aware of?" a soft voice asked behind Resha and Miyuki.

"Buchou!" Rin exclaimed as she bolted from her place to hug the smiling girl.

Hina heard two sighs and a groan.

Rin is now hugging a smaller girl. Her black-red hair flowing down her back, twisted in black and red ribbons. Her eyes are laughing along with her lips as she patted Rin on her back.

"Rin-chan…don't be too overdramatic now, ne?"

"But Buchou!"

The girl laughed, before flicking her eyes towards Hina. Recognition flooded them.

"Hina-chan."

"Eh?!"

"You know her Buchou?!" Rin asked, her eyes darting between the two girls. Hina wanted to run and hide her blushing face.

"Ah. She's my kouhai back in Tokyo Prep." She smiled gently as she took a few steps towards Hina. "I am so glad to finally see you after almost three years Hina-chan."

"Kisana…senpai." She mumbled, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

Kisana's smile widened. "Hina-chan, no need to be so shy. They are friends after all. And I gathered that you are in the same class, yes?"

Rin nodded eagerly while Sairi shrugged a shoulder. "She's quite the genius."

Resha laughed shortly. "Look at that! Hina-chan, you can call me by my name okay? And you can ask me anything you need to know now that you're here in Seishun!"

She eyed the girls in front of her. She never had any friends back in her former school. Everybody seemed like they are going to catch her weirdness if they so much as get close to her. It made her feel so lonely.

Kisana stared at the girl who has her head down. She remembered her as the awkward and shy younger girl back in Tokyo Prep. Hina Fumiko intrigued her from the very first day that she saw her. She is extremely intelligent, beautiful and kind. The only let down is that she is too shy, and seems like she lacks self-confidence. The tough competitive environment of Tokyo Preparatory didn't help her one bit. She wanted to help her back then, because she can see so much of herself in the younger girl. But she didn't get the chance as she decided to enroll in Seishun High school. That was one of the few regrets she has had in the past.

'_But maybe I'll have another shot at this.'_

She smiled as she eyed the girl in front of her. "Say, do you still play tennis Hina-chan?"

Hina lifted her head in a snap, her eyes are wide and her jaws are hanging. "How…? Nobody..I…" she stuttered.

Kisana chuckled, earning her a look from Miyuki and a raised eyebrow from Resha. "I know you tried to hide that tiny detail when you were a freshman. But I've seen you practice your swings. You have a lovely serving form by the way."

Rin gasped, an ecstatic look on her face. "Oh my gosh! You have to sign up for our team!"

Resha has a thoughtful look on her face. "You have the right build. How tall are you?"

"If Kisana-san says you have a good form, it means you are good." Miyuki said, her dark eyes assessing.

Sairi rubbed her chin, nodding her head. "Yeah. Buchou always tells me my serving form sucks."

"Sairi-chan. Language."

Sairi rolled her eyes but winked at Hina, whose cheeks are still flushed.

"So, what do you say Hina-chan?" Kisana asked gently, "would you like to be a member of our tennis team?"

They say chances are hard to come by. And Hina always believed that only people who deserved them would get the chance to have those chances. She had spent most of her life believing that there is nothing special or spectacular about her. That is why she never pursued any of her interests. She stayed in what she thought she was best at: academics.

Maybe-just this once- she'll get her chance.

"Hai. I'd love to, Kisana-Buchou."

She bowed her head in front of the person who was willing to give her that chance-missing the sad, soft smile that graced the other girl's face.

_'I'm doing the right thing..right?'_

_~~~~Ж~~~~_

_No need to hurry, child_

_Step by little step, we'll get there_

_~~~~Ж~~~~_

* * *

Ugh..this turned out to be a little bit longer than I expected but, whatever.

Drop me a review or two guys! Thanks for reading!

_:))_


	3. Chapter 3

_Ahem..._

Before anything else, I would like to say in advance that I am in no way good at describing tennis actions, so don't expect brilliantly explained, detailed-oriented tennis games, okay? Hehehehe. My brain would literally freeze if I try to be a tennis genius and describes all these moves that have been going through my boggled mind.

Eeeniewaeizzz...on with the third chapter of this story...and yes **LiliAC...**dear Ryo-chan will be here. :) Though as to the pairing...hmmm, you'll have to wait for it. :D

Hope you guys will enjoy this!

* * *

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis will be mine...in like, a gazillion years. :)

* * *

**Chapter 1: Return**

* * *

Cat-like amber eyes studied the building in front of him with a practiced indifference.

Seishun High is _huge_. It is situated two blocks away from its junior high counterpart, meaning he has to wake up a little bit earlier than he did when he was a freshman in middle school. '_Che._'

He gave out a sigh before shrugging the racket bag in his shoulder, and after adjusting his white cap on his head, he walked towards the gate with his hands on his slacks' pockets. He desperately hoped that none of his senpai-tachi would see him before he settles down on his class. He is not in the mood for Momo-senpai's noggin and Eiji-senpai's death hugs. And he has a week's worth of catching up to do. His kaa-san told him that the school board assigned a student that will help him adjust to his new high school, along with informing him about the lessons that he missed. '_I hope they assigned me a sane one. Not in the mood for fan girls._' He shuddered at the thought of spending time with a squealing _thing_.

He walked the rest of the way towards his assigned class room. '_Class 1-2, class 1-2..oh, here it is_.' He stood outside the door just staring at the piece of contraption that bore the sign for 'Class 1-2.' He hesitated in opening the door when he heard the teacher's voice taking attendance. It means that the class hasn't started yet. Bummer. He was hoping to enter the classroom during a lecture, so he wouldn't have to attract too much attention. Seems his wish wasn't granted.

No use in delaying the inevitable. He opened the door and stepped inside the classroom.

...and found at least thirty-plus pairs of eyes staring at him in open astonishment.

_'Great. Just what I wanted.'_

Thankfully, the teacher recovered quickly enough to dispel the trance that engulfed the whole class.

Clearing her throat, she smiled at the newcomer. "Ohayou, Echizen Ryoma-san!" she then turned to the stunned students. "Class, we have here our newest student, Echizen Ryoma. Please welcome him."

And just like that, the whole class erupted into shrieks and screams.

Ryoma groaned. What a way to start his high school.

At the back of the classroom, a pair of chocolate-colored eyes were staring at the boy-_no_, young man-who is currently holding back a frown from taking over his handsome face.

"R-Ryoma-K-Kun..." she murmured under her breath. Her face colored dark-red when she realized that she has spoken out a little bit louder than she intended to, though no one seems to have heard, considering the fact that the whole classroom was screaming questions at the young pro-tennis player.

_"RYOMA-SAMA! Kyaaaahhh!"_

_"OHMYGOSH! HE IS SOOOO HANDSOME!"_

_"HEY! RYOMA-SAMA IS MINE!"_

_"BACK-OFF! HE'S LOOKING AT ME!"_

_"SHUT-UP! HE'S NOT!"_

Sakuno watched as their teacher tried to calm the hysterical girls.

They kept on screaming.

"Girls..."

"KYAHHH!"

"Girls..."

_"WHAAHH! HIS EYES ARE SOOO BEAUTIFUL!"_

A vein throbbed at their teacher's forehead. Sakuno sweat dropped.

"GIRLS! STOP SCREAMING OR I'LL THROW ALL OF YOU OUT OF MY CLASS!"

The whole class became silent.

"Good. Now," the teacher turned to Ryoma with a smile-which freaked the young man inwardly. "Echizen-san, why don't you seat there beside..oh, let's see..." she scanned the whole room, intentionally glaring at the eager females who were raising their hands-asking for the teacher to place the handsome student beside them.

Her eyes zeroed in at the silent brunette. Sakuno gulped.

"Okay. Sit there beside Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki, raise your hand and STOP COMPLAINING YOU MAGGOTS!"

The angry murmurs stopped at once-replaced with harsh glares all thrown towards the mortified young girl.

"Ryuzaki. Raise your hand so that Echizan-san can see you."

"H-Hai sensei!" she nervously raised her right hand while keeping her head down.

Ryoma non-chalantly walked towards the vacant seat. He eyed the silent girl who has her head down, refusing to look at him. He noticed the incredibly long auburn pigtails. '_They looked familiar_.' He dropped his bag at the desk and sat down. He turned his head at the girl.

"Ne," he called out to the girl. She didnt look at him.

"H-Hai?"

"You can put your hand down now."

He heard a startled gasp as the girl lifted her head while immediately putting her hand down. Ryoma was surprised to see a pair of dark-chocolate orbs. Her cheeks are a healthy shade of red...she looks familiar.

He racked his brain for memories of twin-braided, pig-tailed auburn hair. _'Oh.'_ 'Ryuzaki.'

Sakuno at him, her heart is beating too fast...too loud. She can feel her face burning. '_Does he remember me?'_

Ryoma eyed the girl indifferently."You're the coach's grand-daughter...right?"

Sakuno stopped breathing. Her heart was still beating fast..until it slowed down. She can feel something in her flatten..dying. He does remember...but not the way that she wanted him to. Who was she kidding?

"Hai." She smiled at him, "I am the coach's granddaughter. Okaeri, Echizen-san."

Ryoma blinked once. _'Huh? Echizen-san? That's not how she calls me before...nevermind.'_

"Hn."

Sakuno smiled once more, before focusing her attention back to their teacher, who was until now, watching the silent exchange between the two.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Resha rubbed her palms together as she grinned. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of finally..._finally_ being able to play tennis at the Seishun High tennis courts. She has been waiting for this for far too long. Two years of hard work has finally paid off.

"Stop grining like a Cheshire cat, Resha-chan. You're scaring the other girls."

She turned to her best friend, Miyuki Kanama, who is now currently stretching beside her. Today is the second day of the try-outs, having started it last Friday. Out of the seventy-plus who have signed-up, only twenty-eight remained. Most of them are seniors with a couple of juniors. There were only three freshmen.

"We will start the selection matches today. Do you think we'll make the cut?" she asked while tying her hair in a short ponytail.

"Of course." Miyuki answered. "We'll probably have you, Kisana, Sairi, Rin and myself in the regular line-up. We only need to look for two or three more to complete the line-up for the tournament."

"I still cannot understand why Kisana has to play. It's not as if anybody would have a chance at beating her."

Their '_acting'_ captain has decided that all of the previous members will still have to play. She said that there's a chance that there will be better players than them.

She remembered snorting along with Sairi at that.

"We really can not argue with that. And besides," Miyuki shrugged, "isn't it better for us to prove our selves to them by playing? Putting our names at the regular line-up just because we are previous members would raise questions from the general public."

"Good argument, Miyuki-chan."

They both turned to see their '_acting_' captain walk towards them, her two younger sisters on her side. The three are clad in almost similar tennis outfits.

"I don't want anybody questioning our team, that's why I thought of putting all of our names at the selection matches. This way, they will see just how much deserving we are of becoming the regulars."

Resha sighed, a soft smile on her lips. "You never change do you, Kisana?"

The girl laughed, her dark-brown eyes glinting happily. "No matter, Resha. I know all of us will remain standing at the end of this selection match, aren't we?" there was a challenge underneath her gentle tone, something that the two seniors are used to.

Resha and Miyuki shrugged their shoulders, both have a stern look in their eyes.

Kisana turned to her sisters. "Well, Amika, Cho. You better warm-up. We'll start in fifteen minutes."

Amika grinned while Cho rolled her eyes.

"See you all later."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Momo and Eiji couldn't help the grin that is slowly spreading across their faces.

"Ochibi!"

"Echizen!"

The two glomped the younger male, who just groaned at the added weight on his back.

"Get off senpai!"

Fuji watched gleefully as the two hugged their kouhai to death.

"Saa...this is such a big surprise, Echizen."

"Hn."

The tensai chuckled. Their kouhai still hasn't changed, despite the two-year absence. To say that they were pleasantly surprised at the appearance of Echizen was an understatement.

Now he understands why Ryuzaki-sensei was being smug the whole week.

"Are you joining the team, Echizen?"

They all stopped at their captain's question. Echizen is currently enjoying a pro-tennis status abroad. Up until now, there were still no news about the young prodigy's appearance in Japan.

Eiji and Momo immediately let go of the previously struggling freshman. Inui has his notebook open, pen poised to take notes. Oishi and Kaidoh are watching with concern and indifference, respectively.

Ryoma adjusted his cap before answering. "Hai, Buchou."

'_Yahoo!' 'Awesome!'_ Momo and Eiji jumped up and threw their fists in the air.

Tezuka nodded. "Good. You will be joining the first selection match at the end of this month. For now, you will be a regular member of the team." He then nodded to Inui.

Ryoma's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he saw the resident data-man. '_Holy shit! He's tall!_'

Inui's glasses glinted upon seeing the freshman's reaction. "Were you surprised Echizen? You shouldn't be, since my menu also helped you gain height."

He murmured something unintelligent under his breath.

Momo laughed as he slung an arm around the shorter male. "You're still an 'ochibi' though, Echizen!"

Eiji laughed loudly with the tall-junior, which irritated Ryoma.

Kaidoh hissed. "Stop laughing like a monkey, Baka Peach. Oi," he turned to Ryoma, "It's about time you get your ass back here to receive some _real_ tennis bashing Echizen." To which the younger one smirked in response.

"Saa...we would love to play a match with you Echizen but," Fuji turned to Tezuka with a smile, "our Buchou decided that we should watch the selection games for the female team. Right, Tezuka?"

"Hn."

_"Whohoo!" "Alright!"_ Eiji and Momo slapped their hands together in a high-five.

Ryoma blinked. "Female team?"

Oishi smiled at him. "Ah. The Seishun High female team has just been revived last week, and will now be deciding their regulars. We would like to offer our support to them, and to see who will be making the cut."

"Although I am 98.10% certain that the five former members will retain their place." Inui said, "It's just a matter of who's going to take the remaining two or three regular spots."

"Some of our members are already there. Let's go."

"Hai."

When they reached the female's side of the courts, some games are already under way. The sound of balls being smashed to the ground filled their ears, along with some impressed whistles and cat calls from the spectators.

The male regulars scanned the occupied courts. At one end, a girl with tangerine-orange hair is going against a girl with short, black hair. The score was-

_"40-love! Match point: Takami."_

"Looks like Takami-chan is doing well, ne, Inui-kun."

Inui merely spared the Tensai and the captain a glance before walking off towards where the game is being played. Eiji and Momo grinned at each other.

"Nyah, I want to watch Sakuno-chan's game!"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? She's joining the team?"

"Of course! She's been practicing really hard all these years, and we even spent time rallying with her. She's gonna be awesome I tell you!" Momo answered with a grin.

Ryoma shrugged but stayed where he is. He can feel Fuji-senpai's eyes on him.

"Aren't you going to watch Kisana-san's game Fuji?" Oishi asked, green eyes scanning the courts.

Fuji smiled. "She's already finished with them, Oishi-kun. See?"

Oishi smiled. "Ah. She's unrelenting as usual."

Ryoma followed his senpai's gazes, and they landed at a girl with long reddish-black hair at the corner court. She is currently putting away her racket on its case.

"Hn. After the first games, only fourteen girls will remain. These games will determine which of those are going to be at the regular line-up." Tezuka said.

"Ah. But I wonder...how are they going to be decided?"

None of them can answer Oishi's question.

"The games will be the determinant, of course." A soft voice behind them answered.

"Ah! Kanama-chan!" Eiji exclaimed upon seeing the light-blue-haired beauty. "Are you done with your games?!"

The girl nodded. "Hai, Kikumaru-san. I am waiting for my next opponent."

Ryoma eyed the girl. She is tall (for a girl), and dare he say- beautiful...in an icy kind of way.

"Saa...so who will be your next opponent then, Miyuki-san?" Fuji asked, ignoring the subtle glare that the girl sent his way.

"We are waiting until all matches are over. We will have 3 singles matches and 2 doubles matches. The regulars will be decided based on the outcome of the games, as I've said. And the captain will decide whether she will add substitute players in the regular line-up." She explained.

"Then how are the games going to be decided, Kanama-senpai?" Kaidoh asked beside Momo (who is getting agitated), "Who amongst you will be playing singles? And who will be playing doubles?"

Miyuki looked at him blankly. "Simple. We'll draw lots."

The males grow silent.

Tezuka cleared his throat. "Drawing lots? Isn't that a little bit...odd?" He can not think of any other word to describe it.

"But it is fair, right?" Miyuki answered with a smile. "Since there are fourteen of us who'll be left-and we cannot have all singles games, we decided to do it this way. And like I've said, our spots will be decided based on individual performances."

"But who will decide?" Oishi pressed on, "you do not have a captain as of now."

The girl frowned. "There is no question in our minds that Kisana-san will become the captain. But if you are worried about the legitimacy of that, we will have our own selection matches after a month, a tournament-style elimination games between the current regulars. The one who will win will be the permanent captain."

"Well, Kisana-san is the one who revived the team, so I think she has every right to be the captain." Momo murmured beside Eiji.

Kaidoh looked at him with distaste. "Baka, that's not the way it works!"

"It matters _not_ whether I'm the one who revived the team, Momoshiro-kun." A new voice said, "If I am going to be the captain of this team, that would be because of my skills-not because of what I've done."

Momo and Eiji yelped at the words. There was a certain edge to it.

"Kisana-chan!" Fuji smiled brightly upon seeing the girl. He delighted upon seeing the faint blush on her cheeks, no wonder she is still thinking about what happened last week.

Tezuka turned his head around. "Ah, Kurosu-san. I apologize for my kouhai's behavior. He doesn't know what he's saying."

Kisana smiled, shifting her eyes away from the light-brown haired senior male and adapting a contemplative look as she looks at each of them. Her gaze landed at the silent freshman. "Ah. So your freshman ace is here. Yorushiku, Echizen Ryoma-san. My name is Kisana Kurosu."

Ryoma mumbled a 'hello'. Fuji smiled at him with his blue eyes open. He shuffled on his feet.

"He is not a member of the regular line-up as of now. He has to earn his spot." Tezuka answered.

"Understandable." She smiled again, "Well, I gathered that all of you are here to watch our games, yes? I think you would be happy to hear that Rin-chan has made it to the final 14." She looked at Tezuka and Oishi. "Though whether she's going to be a singles player or not is still to be decided."

Eiji's ears perked up."Unyah! How about Sakuno-chan? Did she make it Kisana-san?!"

"She did." Miyuki answered silently. "She needs a lot of improvement though."

"She's got good form." Kisana said, "she will be a formidable doubles player in a year's time."

Ryoma has to raise an eyebrow at that, which went unnoticed by the smaller girl. She kept her smile while eyeing the male freshman.

Osihi smiled. "So that means you're going to have a freshman in your line-up, Kurosu-san."

The girl laughed softly-and Ryoma couldn't help but frown at her. She seemed fragile enough-but he couldnt hep but feel like there is something...dangerous in her.

"_Three freshmen_ Oishi-kun." Her eyes twinkled at him, "or have you forgotten about my younger sisters?"

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

_"Game and Match: Takami. 6 games to love!"_

Resha grinned a she jogged to the net to meet her opponent.

"That was great! Let's play again sometime!"

Her fellow senior smiled tiredly. "Hai, Resha-chan!" '_Who am I kidding? I'm not going to play with you again!'_

After shaking hands with the other girl, Resha made her way back to where her racket bag was-only to find Inui Sadaharu standing there and taking notes. She grinned as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Sada-kun!"

Inui looked up from his notebook as soon as he heard her voice. "Ah, Resha-chan. Here," he handed her a light-green hand towel, "it took you 1 minute, 23 seconds longer than usual."

Resha rolled her eyes as she snatched the towel and rubbed it all over her face. "I don't wanna run too much. I have another game after this."

Inui nodded. "I see. There's an 81.90% that you will be playing a singles game against your captain, and 88.11% against Kanama-san."

"Hm. Really?"

"Yes."

Resha sighed. As much as possible, she doesn't want to play against either of the two.

One, because she already know that she cannot beat Kisana.

Two, because she doesn't want to play against and potentially beat Miyuki-her best friend.

_'I guess there's no other way huh?'_

Inui stared at the frowning girl. He is 99.01% certain of what is going on in his girlfriend's mind- almost a year of dating has him memorize all her quirks and expressions. And he personally know about her misgivings whenever she is faced with the circumstance of playing against the two girls he mentioned earlier: her best friend and the girl who gave her another shot at the sport she has grown to love-her escape. It is a difficult situation for her.

"Hakeyama and Akayama have just finished their own games, almost at the same time, and same score: 45 minutes and 34 seconds. 6 games to love."

Resha chuckled. "They really are rivals in every sense of the word."

Inui continued. "Hina Fumiko, the junior, ended her game at 47 minutes and 10 seconds. 6 games to love. Sakuno Ryuzaki won her game at 56 minutes and 45 seconds. 6 games to 3. Her opponent was a senior. It was a good performance."

Resha shook her head. "No. It is mediocre, if you compare it to the other games."

"Hn. Miyuki won at 35 minutes and 09 seconds. And Kisana-san won at 30 minutes flat. Both 6 games to love." He closed is notebook with a snap. "Your team mates are scary as usual."

"Scary?" she intoned. "That's not scary at all, Sada-kun. You should see Rin-chan and Sairi-chan go at each other, and you'll see scary. Or better yet, watch Kisana and I or Miyuki-chan. You'll know '_scary'_ then."

"Ah."

Resha eyed the courts in front of her. Five years ago, she wouldn't even think that she will take up the sport. For her, tennis is something that is fun to watch. She'd rather run the tracks than to chase some fuzzy, yellow ball with nothing but a racket. But Miyuki, her best friend from even then, decided to take up the sport seriously. She supported her best friend whole-heartedly.

But then something happened, and Resha found herself being pulled towards the sports.

She started rallying with Miyuki, because none of her senpais at the tennis club would do it for her. She used one of Miyuki's spare rackets. After two months, she decided to buy her own.

They started having a few games with each other after their club activities. They would often stop at the nearby park, where an abandoned tennis courts can be found. She started enjoying the said sport. It was only a matter of time before tennis started taking precedence over her track practices.

Her parents are still a little bit livid about that.

"I guess your team mates are now ready for the matches, Resha-chan."

She painted a cheery-grin on her face. "Ah. Yosh!" she raised a clenched fist in the air, "time to have fun!"

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Tezuka scanned the fourteen girls who are now standing in front of him. He was asked by the older Kurosu to 'facilitate' the games.

_'Just for the formality of it, ne Tezuka-san?'_

Fuji eagerly answered '_yes'_ for him. And now he's stuck with this. _Sigh._

"Whaaah! Mitsu-nii! You came to watch me play?! Awwww." Rin Hakeyama grinned at the look of utter annoyance on her cousin's face. It always delights her seeing him like this.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his cousin. His cousin just _knows_ how to get under his skin. He cleared his throat.

"Hn. Now that you've drawn lots, please look at the papers in your hands." the girls did as told, "If you have number 1, then you'll play singles; 2 corresponds to doubles game. Beside the number is a letter. The singles players who have the same number and letter will be playing against each other, while those doubles who have the same letter will be partners. Clear?"

"Hai!"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Hmm. I'm singles, who has 1-A?" Kisana asked with a smile.

The girls looked amongst themselves, until Amika stepped out and raised a tiny, squared paper in her hand.

The younger girl smiled, her brown eyes without a trace of hesitation. "Looks like we'll be playing against each other, Kisa-Kisa."

"Oh holy..." Resha murmured. Choharu sighed and frowned, muttering something to herself.

The other girls have the same reaction. But the sisters ignored them.

"I see." Kisana nodded, "well then, how about the others?"

Inui cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "Singles 2 will be Resha Takami against Miyuki Kanama. Singles 3 will be Choharu Kurosu against Kin Utowa."

Resha and Miyuki exchanged a look, while Choharu touched her glasses, as her dark-eyes studied the senior girl.

"Doubles 1 will be played by Akayama-Ryuzaki pair against Kawata-Hayazaki pair. And Doubles 2 will be Hakeyama-Fumiko pair against Wakamoto-Kirisawa pair."

Rin grinned at the shy blonde. "Hina-chan! I am so glad I get to play with you! Let's do our best ne?!"

Hina flushed as she hung her head down.

"Nyah!" Eiji exclaimed upon seeing Sakuno standing beside the pink-haired junior. "Gambatte Sakuno-chan! You too Akayama-san!"

Sairi snorted, before eyeing the freshman. "Oi, you're right-handed, right?"

"H-Hai!" Sakuno nervously replied.

"Hm. Good. I'll cover the back court, you play closer to the net. That okay with you?"

"Hai, Akayama-senpai!"

Sairi stared at the brunette with bored eyes. She looked meek, but she has some strong shots and good enough grasp of the sport. She is in no way as good as the younger Kurosu's, but she will have to do.

"Look," she growled to the freshman, who looked up at her with fear in her big-chocolate eyes. "This game is important. We have to win this, you hear me?"

Sakuno gulped loudly. Sairi Hakeyama makes her want to turn tail and run out of the courts. "H-H-Hai!"

"Good." the girl then turned around and picked up her racket. "Let's go and have some light rally."

She immediately scrambled after the other girl. She just hopes that her previous practice with her senpai-tachi would help her.

She followed the junior to one of the courts, bending on her waist to reach her toes. Her pink-hair is in a ponytail at the top of her head. Hair clips are keeping her bangs away from her face. Sairi Akayama has soft-crimson eyes and slightly tanned-skin-she heard it was because of the girl's inclination towards playing street tennis. She is tall and a little bit on the curvaceous side (though not as much as Kanama-senpai or the blonde-haired junior).

"You should do your stretches, Ryuzaki, instead of staring at me like I'm some sort of bizarre creature on display."

She squeaked as she heard the gruff words. "Ah-h...Gomen senpai!" she bowed her head down while biting her lips. She didn't really want to aggravate the girl. She has heard a lot of comments about Akayama's foul attitude when displeased.

"Whatever. Just do your thing. I wouldn't want you to be injured during the game."

Sakuno nodded. "H-hai!"

Sairi rolled her eyes. Why does she has to be paired with this girl? She'd rather have Hina Fumiko. At least she kinda know a little of the blonde, as she has seen her play a few games during the try-outs. She's not even sure if Ryuzaki would be able to handle playing doubles, especially with her. This is such a freaking pain in the ass.

"Have you played doubles before Ryuzaki?"

"Hai. I sometimes play with senpai-tachi, and I get to play doubles with the Golden Pair."

Sairi raised an eyebrow. "Oh. So you've got some good friends huh? That's...nice, I guess." She lifted a shoulder, and Sakuno cringed when she heard a few popping sounds. "Well, I suppose you know about some doubles formation then?"

Sakuno nodded eagerly. "Un! Eiji-senpai taught me some of them!"

"Good. Forget about them. We will not be using them on our game."

"Eh?!"

Sairi snorted. "Look. I don't really like explaining things, and I'm not about to start now. Just do your thing. Whatever ball you can return, return them. If a ball passes by your jurisdiction, let me handle them, okay? We'll divide the court into two," here, she pointed a finger to the court beside them, "I'll handle the left side, the right is yours. In the case that the ball passes by the middle line, leave it to me. How's your serve?"

"Okay...I guess."

Sairi sighed loudly. "Fine, you serve first just so I know how 'okay' it is." She frowned, "Well, shit. Our game is about to start. Let's go, Ryuzaki."

"H-Hai!"

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Choharu approached her opponent, an unreadable look on her face. Kin Utowa returned the look with a stern one.

"Let's have a good game, senpai."

"Ah, let's do that, Kurosu-san."

The two bowed to each other as they took their places at their respective ends.

_"One set match: Utowa to serve!"_

Kin bounced the ball three times in her left hand before throwing it high up in the air. She brought the racket down in a fast swing.

_'Pow!'_

The ball landed right at the middle of the T, and bounced out of the court.

_"15-love!"_

Kaidoh hissed under his breath. _That_ was some serve. The younger girl didn't even have time to react.

Utowa served once more, just as fast as the first one. But this time, Choharu was already waiting for it. She returned the ball to the left court-it went out untouched.

_"15 all!"_

Utowa served once more, and this time, it is much faster and-it seemed-much stronger, as the younger girl has to take a few steps backwards from the impact. The ball sailed out of the court.

_"30-15!"_

_'Damn!'_ Choharu thought to herself,_ 'a power player huh? I can still feel tingles in my arm.'_

The fourth serve got underway, and Choharu planted her feet firmly on the ground, her upper body crouched forward, knees bent and two hands in her racket.

_'But,_' she swung her racket forward, meeting the ball just after it bounced, '_it's not nonreturnable!_'

Utowa stared wide-eyed at the mark that Choharu's return made at the ground. '_Holy crap!'_

_"30 all!"_

Kaidoh watched as the rest of the first service game became a one-sided game for the freshman. He has never seen such a return before. It was a combination of power and speed and accuracy-something that most female players can _not_ do. But this girl-after just two serves, she had already calculated the shot and made adjustments on her stance. He knew that she is a good doubles player, but he has never heard of her playing singles before.

_"Game! Kurosu. One game to love!"_

On her service game, Choharu opted to serve underhand, making it easier for her opponent to return the ball. A rally started, and it was obvious that Utowa is being made to run by the other girl. The returns made their way towards the edges of the court, barely grazing the lines.

"Amazing control." Kaidoh murmured. Speed, power, accuracy and control. Who knew a freshman female player could have those?

_"Game: Kurosu. Two games to love! Change court."_

Kaidoh didn't even have to guess on the outcome of the game. As his senpai would say: He's 100.00% sure that Choharu Kurosu will win.

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Hina nervously fumbled with the strings of her racket. She has never played doubles before, although she has watched enough to come up with some strategies of her own. The problem is, those are only theories.

She watched as Rin jumped and down- a part of her own devised warm-up routine, according to the brown-haired girl. Rin Hakeyama sure is an odd one.

"Ne, Hina-chan! Why don't you warm-up with me?! This is fun!" the girl invited with a wide smile on her face.

_'She seems to have good stamina,' _Hina thought as she watched the girl jump higher by the minute, '_she doesn't seem to tire even though she has been doing that for 8 minutes and 45 seconds already. And the way she recoils her limbs is amazing.'_

"I've never seen you do warm-up exercises before Hina-chan. Why is that?" Rin asked as she tilted her head towards the silent girl. She has seen some of her fellow junior's games, and every time she does, she always wondered why. The girl would just stand there and fumble with her racket, a scared look on her face. How Hina Fumiko managed to win her games up until now is a complete mystery to the brown-haired female.

"Oh...well..." Hina's face flushed, "I always get nervous before I play, that there is a 90.44% chance that I will injure myself before the game if I do warm-up exercises."

Rin's mouth formed an 'o'. "Oh...I see." and then she grinned, "Well, I guess it's okay. I mean, you always manage to win so it's no problem!"

Their conversation was cut when the acting umpire called their names to the courts.

"Well, it's showtime Hina-chan! Let's do our best ne?!"

_"One set match: Hakeyama-Fumiko pair vs. Wakamoto-Kirisawa pair."_

_"Fumiko to serve!"_

Rin eyed her partner warily. Although she has watched some of the other girl's games, she still was amazed at the way she serves. Their Buchou was right, Hina Fumiko has a beautiful serving form.

_'Bam!'_

The ball went screeching to the other court, grazing the T before sailing out of the courts. Rin was about to shout in glee to her partner when Risa Wakamoto, who was waiting at the baseline, slammed her racket down and returned the ball. She managed to swing her racket and hit a return. A rally has begun.

Tezuka watched in intense concentration as Rin parried the returns easily. His cousin is not the most graceful of all players, but she is a formidable at the net. While Rin is guarding the net, he is almost certain that no ball would make it past her. His thoughts were confirmed as Rin dropped a shot close to the edge of the right court-line.

_"15-love!"_

Though he must admit, the other junior girl has a good form. Her serving is incredible, though it lacks of consistency. She has the ability to be a power player, but her personality probably would be the biggest hindrance.

"They are doing good, ne Tezuka."

He turned to see his vice-captain beside him, green eyes following the movements of the girls at the courts.

"Ah. But I wonder if this is the extent of their skills."

Oishi chuckled. "I highly doubt it."

Tezuka watched as Rin hit another drop shot, this time, the ball landed at the middle court.

"_30-love!"_

"Why do you say so?"

Oishi shrugged, "I don't know, just a hunch."

"Hn."

They both turned back to the game just as Hina and Rin won the first set.

_"Game: Hakeyama-Fumiko pair! 1 game to love!"_

Rin is bursting with adrenaline. Playing tennis is fun.

"Hey, Hina-chan!" she called to her partner, "Take care of the baseline, 'kay? I'll take care of the net!" she winked before turning back to their opponents.

At the other side of the net, Risa Wakamoto approached her partner-Chika Kirisawa, who was readying to serve.

"Hey, Chika-san..."

The dark-haired senior blinked at the other girl, "Hai, Rika-san?"

"Listen, those two have never played doubles before, just like us. But I noticed that the Hakeyama girl is the only one who is hitting most of the returns earlier."

Chika nodded her head. "I noticed that too."

Risa smiled. "I have a plan. Hit them with your strongest serve. Let's see what Hakeyama would do."

Chika nodded.

She served, and Rin moved to intercept it.

'_Whoah! What a heavy ball!'_ Rin though as she tried to return the serve. _'But I can return it! HA!'_

_'Based on the sound it made, that was a heavy ball, with a speed of no less than 130 kph.' _Hina thought with a frown on her face.

Risa let the ball sail past her, all along eyeing her opponent. Rin stood triumphantly at the other court.

_'Love-15!'_

"Ha! It would take a hell lot stronger serve to stop me!"

_'Let's see.' _Risa thought as she signed a 'two' to Chika, who breathed deeply before serving the ball.

_'BAM!'_

Rin grinned in exhilaration as she moved her feet to the left side of the court. The serve was heavy, like the first one. Planting her left foot at the ground, she met the ball with a two-handed backhand. She can feel the vibrations through her arms as she hold the racket for a few seconds, trying to neutralize the heavy spin, before releasing it with a grunt. "Hiya!"

Risa smirked. '_Gotcha.' _She knew for a fact that Rin has fast reflexes, making her a good net player. But if she doesn't have enough time to get to a position and gather enough strength in her arms, returning heavy shots like Chika's serves will definitely put a strain in her rather skinny limbs. She moved to intercept the ball, sending it to the right corner, away from the still-huffing brown-haired girl.

_"15 all!"_

Rin blinked at where the ball has landed. That was really far from where she was, but since she is the one who should be taking care of the net, that ball was her responsibility. She shrugged once before facing her opponents again. She watched as Chika served once more. Before she can even think, her feet has already moved on its own. Sprinting towards the left side of the court, she hit a forehand, returning the ball to the right-side of her opponent's court. Risa was there with a smirk on her lips. The senior hit a powerful backhand, sending the ball straight towards her. Stunned, all Rin can do was to raise her racket in an attempt to save her face from being hit.

_"30-15!"_

She trained her eyes at the ball on her feet. If she hadn't reacted fast enough...she shuddered at the thought.

Hina frowned in deep thought. It seems like the two seniors are sending all of their shots towards Rin. But the brown-haired girl can return the shots, why send it to her then? Whenever Chika would serve, Rin would intercept it. And then Risa would be wherever Rin would drop the shot. Moreover, that last shot was intended to hit the opponent, Hina is 87.44% of that. But with Rin's fast reflexes, she can raise her racket to shield herself from the shot. So the only logical conclusion she can come up right now is..

_"40-15!"_

Rin has once again failed to return one of Risa's strong forehand shots.

_'Tch. She's got strong returns, I'll give her that.' _Rin clenched her jaws. Just a few shots from the two seniors has gotten her arms tired. The shots are heavy with a wicked spin. She has always had trouble with those kinds of shots, and is the reason why she has never ever won a single game against Miyuki-senpai. _'But what can I do? I've always played with Sairi-chan-oh.' _

Chika inhaled deeply. Just one point, and they'll be able to take the game. So far, Risa's plan is giving them the advantage. The other junior has never taken any shots, simply because she couldn't, even if she wanted to. Playing doubles with two complete strangers is becoming a good thing for her and her partner.

"Just one point now, Chika-san!" she heard Risa's voice called out to her, "we'll take this game!"

She nodded her head, "No-" she threw the ball up in the air-"problem!"

They heard a gasp as the ball grazed Rin's cheek after bouncing off the court. The shot was fast, and strong. Rin didn't have a chance of returning it.

"Ha! Take that-_WHAT_?!"

Chika watched in amazement as the junior blonde moved to the center of the baseline, her racket lowered in her right hand, her left foot planted deep into the ground as she returned the ball with an incredible strength.

"There's no way that ball would be in!" Risa announced as she moved out of the way of the incoming ball.

Chika's eyes widened as she dodged into the right, her racket raised in her face.

"The probability of that ball landing in-" they heard Hina murmur from where she is standing.

..they waited as the dust settles in-

"-is 100%" Hina finished.

Chika and Risa, along with the rest of the crowd, stared at the ball innocently lying in the ground-settled at the baseline.

_"4-40-30!"_

Rin watched with amazement in her eyes, her jaw dropping. '_How in the world-?_!'

Oishi gulped, his green eyes wide. "..."

Tezuka stared at the blonde girl. "I see...she's an expert in neutralizing power and spin. Interesting."

He has seen power players, but this blonde girl isn't just a simple power player. She has something else that is different and interesting. He couldn't put his fingers on it, but the girl's play...he felt like he has seen them somewhere before.

"Kirisawa-san..." Hina called out to the senior girl.

"H-hai?!"

"Please serve so we can continue the game." She politely asked.

Chika blinked. _'Just like that? She looked as if that last shot didn't even bother her!'_

_'What a monster.'_ Rin thought with a smile. _'Why did I ever thought that she's going to be a burden for me? When all along...I was the one who's being a selfish idiot. Buchou would be so pissed.'_

"All right!" Hina yelped, startled at the sudden shout from her partner, "who said we're going to lose here?! Right, Hina-chan?!"

Hina blinked at the grin that was directed towards her. She felt something warm creep in her chest. Is this how it feels to be...acknowledged?

"Hai...Rin-chan." she answered quietly.

Rin's answering smile was so warm she felt like she could melt.

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

At one of the courts, Miyuki heaved a deep breath as she threw the ball overhead. Resha has just won her service game. It is now her turn.

"Who do you think will win, Inui-chan?" Eiji asked, his eyes wide and curios as Miyuki hit a drop shot, luring Resha to the net. The blue-haired beauty slammed the ball to Resha's back court.

_"15-love!"_

"Resha's chance of winning this match depends on how much she wants it." Inui answered. His notebook, as always, is open in front of him, but Eiji noticed that his team mate has yet to write something down in it.

"Hmm..nyah, it does seem that Takami-chan is a little bit distracted." he commented just as Resha failed to return a ball that was well within her reach.

Inui grunted. "She has never been comfortable with playing against her best friend."

They continued watching as Miyuki hit a forehand, sending the ball screeching down the line.

_"Game: Kanama. 4 games to 2!"_

Miyuki frowned as she and Resha exchanged courts. She can feel Resha's hesitation in her shots, and the other isn't even trying to run after the balls. Miyuki clenched her hands.

"Resha." she called out when they passed by each other. The other girl stopped. "Why are you hesitating?"

Resha frowned. "I am not."

"..."

Resha exhaled loudly. "How am I suppose to play against you Miyuki?! If either of us loses..."

"I will not lose."

She heard her best friend gasp, but she continued. "I will not lose, because I will be fighting to win. Even if I have to go against you, Resha." Miyuki stared at her with serious dark-eyes. "Because that's how much I respected you."

Resha watched as the other girl walks away from her. "_Because that's how much I respect you..." _She closed her eyes. '_That's how it is huh?'_ The other has just to pull that off at a time like this.

_"It is not winning knowing that you bested a player playing at his worst." _

_"__Have a little respect to the person at the end of the court."_

Seriously, Miyuki just knows how to get through her.

_'All right. If that is what you want.'_ Resha stared at the other girl with a resolve. '_I'll give you my hundred and ten percent.'_

She threw the ball and jumped and, not even waiting to see where the ball went, she run to the net. Serve and Volley.

With a sway of her light-blue hair, Miyuki returned the ball with a forehand-the ball bounced violently-but Resha was there in a split second, just what Miyuki has expected. The ball was smashed at her left box.

Miyuki felt it; Resha is finally serious. She breathed deep. It has been a long time since she saw that light in Resha's eyes, the light that makes her look more dangerous.

The court is about to witness _Swift_ at her finest.

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

_Only those who gave it their all_

_Will win it all._

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

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_**Me: meeehhhhh.**_

_**I'll try to be a hell lot better next time...Promise! XD**_

_**Next Chapter: Ace**_

_**I'll try to put it up as soon as I can, so probably, by the end of this coming week.**_

_**Read and Review guys!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Okay...here's the continuation of the selection matches for the female team of Seigaku. The last chapter was about one of the two doubles game and Choharu's singles game, as well as a glimpse of the singles game between the bestfriends: Resha and Miyuki.

**Here's Chapter 2 (fourth chapter, if you add the two prologues) guys! Enjoy! XD**

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**Disclaimer: Nuh uh..Prince of Tennis is not mine...at least for now :D**

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**Chapter 2: Ace**

* * *

Sakuno wiped her forehead. She is sweating, and they haven't even started yet.

She can feel her arms shake as she grips her racket a little bit harder; her breathing is becoming erratic, she can hear her heart beating loudly. _'Calm down. Calm down.' _She reminded herself of the game. If she fails here...

Her eyes fell upon the older girl who is nonchalantly standing at the left inner side of their court. She is currently standing at the baseline, waiting for their opponents to start the game.

_"One set match: Akayama-Ryuzaki pair vs. Kawata-Hayazaki pair."_

_"Hayazaki to serve."_

Youko Hayazaki is a senior girl with hazel eyes and dirty-blonde hair, while her partner, Ina Kawata has blue eyes and black hair.

Hayazaki served to the right, and Sairi automatically knew that the two seniors would be targeting the shaking freshman._ 'Annoying, but good strategy.'_ The younger girl is obviously terrified. Sairi can feel her fear from where she is standing.

_"15-love!"_

Sakuno took a shuddering breath. That serve was vicious...as if the player who hit it has every intention to _hit_ her. How was she supposed to return that?! Was she even _supposed_ to return that?!

Another serve found its way towards her, but this time she was able to raise her racket and hit a weak forehand-the ball barely managed to cross the net. Kawata took two steps forward and slammed the ball at Sakuno's box.

_"30-love!"_

_'Are they...targeting me?._' Sakuno thought as Hayazaki served the ball towards her again. _'They knew I was the weaker one, so they are sending all the balls to me.'_

Sakuno hit a two-handed backhand, sending the ball towards Hayazaki, who was at the opposite side. The senior girl hit a cross-court shot towards Sakuno. '_They really are targeting me!'_

Sairi frowned. These two seniors are pissing her off. What do they think of her? A decoration at the courts?! Bullshit.

But at least Ryuzaki is rallying well. The younger girl didn't even realize it, but she can keep up with the senior players. Though, Sairi tilted her head in contemplation, these senior girls may just be testing Ryuzaki. They don't seem to eager to hit winners, just easy ones. Well, there was that smash earlier...but Sairi thinks that was an instinctual reaction to a lob. Nevertheless, this game is pissing the hell outta her.

"That's not fair," Momo mumbled beside Ryoma, "not fair at all."

Ryoma hid a sigh as the black-haired senior hit a forehand-again.

_"Game: Hayazaki-Kawata pair. 1 game to love!"_

"Huh?" Ryoma blinked his eyes when he saw Ryuzaki took her position at the baseline. He turned to his senpai. "How's her serve senpai?"

Momo nervously scratched his head. "Eh? Uhm...okay, I guess."

"..."

He watched as the girl threw the ball and swung...only to miss the ball. _'Tch. Mada mada dane.'_

"Ah...gomen!" Sakuno frantically bowed her head in shame. Sairi rolled her eyes upwards. This girl is absolutely hopeless.

She tried serving the second time...and failed.

_"Double fault! Love-15!"_

_'What is wrong with me?!Is this it? Should I just give up?'_ Sakuno thought as she clenched her hand around the ball.

"Oi!"

She snapped her head towards her partner...and found curious crimson eyes staring at her. She gulped.

"You said your serve was okay, right?"

She nodded.

"Then what the fuck are you doing? Serve the ball already. Just like you would if you are playing with your senpais, or with your friends. You don't need to have an impressive serve you know, just make sure the damned ball will go over the net." She then turn her face back towards the net.

_'Yeah...just like I do when I play against Momo-senpai or Eiji-senpai!'_ Sakuno breathed deeply, exhaling it in a long breath. Throwing the ball over her head, she jumped, and in a perfect arch, hit the ball hard. It went past the seniors and out of the courts.

_"15-30!"_

Sakuno blinked. '_Eh? Did I just...served...an ace?'_

Sairi smirked. _'Damn! For all her nervousness, Ryuzaki has one vicious serve_.' She turned her face to the stunned girl. "Nice serve, Ryuzaki."

Momo jumped up in the air. "Hell yeah! That's how you do it Sakuno-chan!"

Ryoma inched away from his hyper senpai.

A smile broke out of Sakuno's face. She did it! She can do this...she will do this. She served once more, but this time, the senior girls are ready. A rally has started.

Ryoma's eyes flickered at the court. The rally is okay. But there is something odd with Ryuzaki and her partner. They seemed to be playing in their own courts. Just like...

"Heh. They're playing just like how we did before Echizen." Momo-senpai said.

Ryoma nodded. Indeed, Ryuzaki and the other girl is covering only one side of the court. It's a good strategy, especially for people who has never played a game with each other before. But he couldn't help but notice that almost three-quarters of the returns are being sent towards Ryuzaki, just like in the first game. And although Ryuzaki can return them just fine, how long can she last?

_"Game: Ryuzaki-Akayama pair. 1 game all!"_

_''Damn! That took almost seven minutes. If this continues, I won't be able to watch Buchou's game.'_ Sairi thought as she eyed the senior girl who was readying for her service. _'I don't have time for this._' She then turned to her partner and whispered something in her ears.

Ina Kawata bounced the ball three times before looking up, ready to serve. '_Eh?'_ She blinked her eyes.

At the opposite court, Sairi has placed herself closer to the net, her body slightly crouching forward. Behind her, perfectly concealed, is that freshman, Ryuzaki. '_Australian Formation?!'_ She frowned. Do they really think they can pull off a maneuver like that?

She served, and was left astounded as Sairi moved to the right and hit a fast return. Hayazaki reacted faster, slamming the ball at the back court.

Sakuno watched as the ball made its way towards her. _'It's faster than before, but less power.'_ She stepped back, and hit the ball. Her forehand sent the ball towards the baseline, forcing Kawata to take a few steps backward before hitting an awkward backhand. The ball met the net.

_"Love-15!"_

The next rallies became shorter, as Sairi played at the net while Sakuno covered their back court flawlessly. Whenever Kawata would hit a drop shot or a smash, Sairi would be there to return it.

When Hayazaki would hit a lob or a volley, Sakuno would be there to send it back to their court.

The two girls played as if they have been playing for years.

And although it wasn't perfect, for a first-time doubles pair, they did well.

"Awesome..." Momo stared at the two girls with open-mouthed astonishment. "I've played doubles with Sakuno-chan, but I never thought she could be this good."

Ryoma agreed grudgingly. "That junior is good, and Ryuzaki...wasn't too bad."

Momo grinned at his kouhai. "Ah..I heard Inui-senpai saying that Akayama-san is one of the team's aces."

"Really?" Ryoma asked in a semi-bored tone, "how many aces does their team has?"

"Well, there's Kanama-san, Takami-san and Kisana-san." Momo answered as Sairi hit a smash, ending the sixth game in their favor.

"That's a lot."

"Well, they're good. I've seen those two seniors play games y'know. Takami-san is fast, while Kanama-san has this amazing ball control that is actually very high-level. " Momo explained.

The freshman frowned a little. He found the information a little too unbelievable. Surely his senpai isn't just pulling his leg, right? Though looking at that girl playing right now...

Sairi can feel her body reacting faster to the shots now. Normally, it would take her just a few minutes before she gets her rhythm. But this game has been dragged on for a longer time than she would have wanted.

_But still_...she spared the eager freshman as she returned a ball with a powerful forehand. Hayazaki didn't manage to catch up with it.

_"30-love!"_

They are already in their 7th game, and if they play their tennis right, they could end the match here. Looks like she can still watch her Buchou take on her younger sister.

_"40-love! Match point: Ryuzaki-Akayama pair!"_

Once the ball was released, Sairi didn't waste a second. Sprinting to where the ball was supposed to land, she raised her racket and slammed it down. A loud cracking sound filled the courts as the ball hit the ground-and stayed there. The two seniors were left staring at the ball that was still spinning at the ground.

_"Oi!"_

_"What the hell is that shot?!"_

_"It's still spinning!"_

Sairi smirked as the amazed words reached her ears. "That's my special return-The Spinner. A little gift for you, senpais."

After a few more seconds, the ball finally stopped spinning, but instead of bouncing, it rolled out sideways until it stopped at the foot of Kawata. The senior girl shook her head, a rueful smile in her lips.

_"Game and Match: Ryuzaki-Akayama pair! 6 games to 1!"_

"It's as amazing as I've heard, Akayama-san."

Youko chuckled as she brought her racket down on her side. "You could've returned the shot in a normal way. Why use your special shot?"

Sairi shrugged, beckoning for the silently watching freshman to come near her. "As I've said, it's a gift. The two of you are good...so I have to bring out the big guns for a little show, y'know."

"That was a really amazing return, Akayama-senpai." Sakuno shyly commented upon reaching the junior's side.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with, I have a match to watch." The pink-haired girl waved off the comment.

"Ah," Kawata offered her hand for a handshake, "the captain and her younger sister are playing right?"

Hayazaki nodded. "That would be a great match."

Sairi growled. "Of course. So now that this is over with, can't we just go over there and watch the damned match?"

The three girls grinned at the seemingly excited girl.

_'I wonder just how good the captain is...Akayama-san seemed eager to watch her game.'_Sakuno thought as she trailed behind the said girl.

"Sakuno-chan~~!"

She turned her head to see Momo-senpai running towards her, Ryoma in tow.

"Omedetou Sakuno-chan! Oh..you too, Akayama-san!"

Sairi rolled her eyes at the hyper-active male junior. "You're so damn loud." She stated bluntly.

"Hey!"

"Whatever," Sairi looked at Sakuno, "well are you coming or what?"

"I-I'm coming, senpai!"

Sairi didn't answer.

"Damn that girl!" Momo mumbled under his breath.

Sakuno nervously scratched her head. "Gomen, Momo-senpai. Akayama-senpai is just excited about the other match."

"Oh." Momo blinked, "Kisana-san's game against her younger sister, right?"

Sakuno nodded.

"Is that girl a good player?" Ryoma asked.

Sairi whipped her head around, staring at Ryoma for the first time. "Oi, brat. Our captain has a name. Use that in addressing her, or I'll rip your tongue out. Got it?"

Momo and Sakuno both gasped at the vulgar words. Ryoma seemed unfazed though.

"Heh. I'll address people however I want."

Sairi's eyes narrowed. "You scrawny brat." And then she smirked. "You'll choke on your own spit later."

"Hn. No chance."

"Let's see brat."

A glare. "Don't call me that."

Sairi laughed loud. "I'll call you however I want, _brat_." And with another smirk, she tossed her hair and walked away from them.

Sakuno gulped hard. Ryo-_Echizen_-san seemed angry. But...

"Well, look at that." Momo-senpai said with a laugh, "a girl as bratty as you, Echizen. This would be fun."

Echizen left them with a glare. Momo merely grinned. Sakuno watched the exchange with a heavy heart.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_"Game: Takami. 6 games to 5. Takami leads."_

Miyuki let out an annoyed sigh. All of her previous shots has been sealed by Resha. If this continues, she's going to lose. But how can she stop Resha's speed? Only one person can seal Resha's _Swift_. And Miyuki isn't that person.

"Sugoi..." Eiji breathed out, his blue eyes wide. "Kanama-chan couldn't keep up with Takami-chan's speed! It looks like she's flying!"

Inui nodded, his pen scribbling at a record speed across his notebook. "Resha's speed has increased dramatically after her last game last year. At this point, Kanama-san will have to use _that.._.It's her only hope."

"Unyah?" Eiji looked confused. "What do you mean by that Inui-chan?! Does Kanama-san has a special move that can defeat Takami-chan?!"

Inui nodded, a grim look on his face. "We'll have to wait and see."_ 'Though if she really is as serious as she was earlier, we don't have to wait for too long.'_

_'What am I going to do now?_' Miyuki thought as she bounced the ball, '_If I didn't do it here...I will lose.' _She wanted to win...to be one step closer to her goal. But what about Resha? Although, if Kisana will become the captain...

She clenched her jaw; closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. '_There's no use dwelling on it. I **have** to win.'_

From where she's standing, Resha smiled triumphantly. She recognizes the look of complete blankness on her friend's face. _Finally_...

Miyuki threw the ball, and Eiji's eyes snapped open wider when he saw a minute detail that was uncommon in most serves.

There was a 'thwack!'...and the ball was suddenly bouncing out of the court.

_"15-love!"_

"That was 43.11% faster than usual."

Eiji turned to Inui with wide eyes. "She...she..."

Inui nodded. "So you saw it huh?" he mumbled. "That was Kanama-san's 'Rocket Serve'; it is one of her four-fold techniques. She puts additional spin to the ball by twisting it upon release. The extra spin somehow causes the ball to gain in speed, making the serve extremely difficult to return."

Miyuki hit another one, and Resha run to the left in an attempt to return the serve.

_"30-love!"_

"But why didn't she use it earlier?!" Eiji asked, "With a serve like that, she could've have won earlier!"

_Indeed_, Inui thought. If Miyuki had used the 'Rocket Serve', the game might've been over as of now. So why...?

_"40-love!"_

_'Hmmm...the direction is already changing. I still have a chance on returning it.'_ Resha thought as she squinted at her friend. Rocket Serve is extremely fast, just as it's name suggests. But...there is one flaw with Miyuki's ace serve.

The moment Miyuki released the ball from her hand, Resha moved her right foot, readying herself for a sprint.._'Any moment now...'_

And then there was that sound-like the air being teared off by a strong force-the ball sailed through the court, in a perfect line towards where Resha has put herself-waiting for it.

'_...There!'_ Resha thought triumphantly as her eyes caught sight of something yellow, no doubt the ball. Stepping backwards, she gripped her racket with both hands...lifting her left foot from the ground, she brought her racket down and felt vibrations up and down her arms as it got in contact with the ball. '_A little bit more...come on..come on...'_

Miyuki, unsurprised, waited for the moment that Resha releases her hold on the ball. It is clear that she is trying to neutralize the spin of the ball. Having seen the serve for more than a few times has gotten Resha accustomed to it. _'I need to improve it more. For now, only Resha and Kisana has the ability to return them, but as the tournament nears, other players will catch up.'_

With a grunt, Resha hurtled the ball back to Miyuki, who, in return, run forward to return in. Soon, the two were engaged in a net rally.

"There's a 90.00% that Resha will win the rally." Inui stated, and soon enough, Resha hit a strong backhand that sent the ball towards Miyuki's back court.

_"40-15!"_

The two girls panted, the last rally clearly has them tired. Not to mention that the game has been going on for almost twenty minutes already, with both of them going at it with their all.

'_Dammit!_' Resha hissed in her mind as she prepared for the next serve. _'That shot was too strong.'_

'_She returned my strongest shot...'_ Miyuki smiled dimly, returning the ball with a backhand. _'Just like the other times...'_

The rallies became shorter, with Resha hitting fast winners, while Miyuki was struggling against her opponent's fast shots.

_"Game and Match: Takami. 7 games to 5."_

The two meet up at the net. Both are smiling tiredly.

"Well, seems like you beat me again, Resha-chan." Miyuki said softly.

Resha tried to grin, but came off as a grimace. "Yeah...it wasn't easy though."

The blue-haired girl scoffed. "As if I'd go easy on you." She smiled fondly, "It was a good game, Resha."

"Ah."

They stood there, just looking at each other, hands still clasped. It has been a long time since they've played in a real match. The feeling is foreign...yet comfortable.

They were startled when a loud cheer from the other court erupted. They looked at each other with serious eyes.

"Kisana-san and Amika-san huh?"

Resha nodded grimly. "Yeah. 1000 yen says they're on their 6th game."

"2000 yen says it's the 4th game."

Resha smirked. "You're on."

They both turned on their heels and gathered their things at the side of the court. Walking alongside the two male regulars, Resha couldn't help but feel uneasiness settle in her stomach.

Reaching the court, she was startled to find the youngest Kurosu standing beside the other male regulars.

"Eh?! You're done with your game Choharu-san?!"

The younger girl turned her head towards the newcomers. Blinking once, she nodded before turning back to the game at hand. "Hai. I wanted to watch this match."

Resha turned towards the other girls. "You too?!"

Sairi rolled her eyes while Rin grinned. "Of course fukubuchou! We wouldn't miss Buchou's game for the world!"

"They are doing well." Oishi murmured beside Tezuka. "I've never seen this level of play among females."

"Of course. It's Buchou and Amika-san we're talking about." Sairi stated in a matter-of-fact voice.

_"Game: Kisana Kurosu. 3 games all! Change court."_

Miyuki sighed heavily. _'Great. I lost the game and the bet.'_

"Nyah! Only six games?! But it has been close to half an hour already!"

"It means both of them are serious." Miyuki said.

Kaidoh hissed from where he is standing, his eyes are narrowed in concentration. "I don't know how they can still hit with that power."

"And their speed isn't dropping either." Ryoma mumbled beside the junior.

"Well, both of them are used to playing long drawn-out matches." Resha said as she stands beside the younger girls. "What do you think Choharu-san?"

"6-4 in favor of Kisana." she said, "it will take another half hour though."

Resha nodded. "Ah. Amika-san is someone who doesn't give away a point easily."

Tezuka watched as the younger girl served overhead. Her form is...good. A lot better than some of the male players he'd seen. She is graceful, yet powerful. She seemed to read all of her older sister's movements: the tiniest details. She run towards the net, anticipating a drop shot even before Kisana received the ball.

The older girl did hit a drop shot, the ball hitting a soft thud on the ground-and Amika was there, slamming the ball back to her opponent. Another rally has started.

"Each of their rally has at least 26-30 strokes." Fuji said on his left, his blue eyes focused on the two females playing in front of him. "Amika-chan has always been a tough opponent for Kisana-chan."

He didn't reply, too focused on the game. There is no doubt in the minds of the people beside him that Kisana will win. But he couldn't take his eyes off of the game.

And he didn't know why. '_Of course you do.'_

He ignored the voice in his head.

_"Game: Kisana Kurosu. 4 games to 3!"_

Amika grinned to herself as she went back to her service area. She can feel her muscles tense and loosen up. She always had the same feeling of excitement whenever she plays with Kisana. The only time she felt this except from when she is playing her older sister is when she plays with her twin sister.

_And those other times too..._

She shook her head of the thoughts. This isn't the place nor time to think of him.

She aimed a smile at the girl waiting at the opposite court. Her dark-eyes staring straight into Amika's light-brown ones. It was always like these, and Amika will never have it any other way.

The serve came like a bullet, a swishing sound-and then the ball was suddenly there-outside the court, untouched.

"155 kph. That's 16% faster than her last serve." Choharu murmured as her eyes lingered at the ball.

Inui nodded. "Ah...Amika-san never ceases to amaze me. Her potential is just really off the charts."

Choharu smiled a rare soft-one. "Ah. That's true. But so is Kisana."

Rin grinned at the dark-haired girl ."And so are you, Cho-chan!"

The girl just shook her head slowly. "Hm. Not really."

_"15-love!"_

Kisana blinked her eyes at where the ball is now lying. She smiled. Amika has improved...yet again. That serve has got to be around 140 or 145 kph, or maybe even more...and there's a lot of topspin added to it. To think that Amika's serving form didn't even change. Just..._Impressive._

Amika served once more. And the speed didn't change. Kisana's eyes flickered, searching for the yellow fuzz-_there_!

Amika smiled when she saw Kisana moved towards her left, where she knew the ball will land. She run towards the middle of her court. There is a fifty-fifty chance on where Kisana's shot is going to land.

Kisana heard a loud '_thuck'_ the moment her racket met the ball-straining the strings. The tremendous spin is putting a strain to her wrist. She has no other choice then...

She brought her left hand towards where her right is gripping the handle of her racket. Pulling back a little, she planted her left foot backwards and swung.

_'THUD!'_

But Amika was there, eyes glinting as she stared at the ball before slamming her racket down.

_"30-love!"_

Momo whistled. "Wow..."

"That golden-haired girl is good at predicting the shots." Ryoma stated blandly, his eyes staring at the serving form of Amika.

"It's not so much as 'predicting' them, Echizen-san." Choharu answered.

The male regulars looked at her, except Fuji and Inui.

"Amika is merely setting the shots, so to speak."

"Setting..." Momo mumbled.

"...the shots?" Kaidoh's eyes widened in confusion.

"Hm."

"Uh...can you please elaborate on than Kurosu-san?" Oishi asked.

Choharu didn't reply. Instead, she tilted her head to look at the male vice-captain. "How do I put this?" she murmured.

"She sets the shots...like setting the game, you mean? I can see a pattern to her shots.." Hina shyly mumbled.

The dark-haired girl stared at her, her eyes glinting curiously. "Hm...yeah, kinda like that." Choharu nodded. "She does not set _just_ the shots. She sets everything...the shots, the pace, the rhythm, how long a rally is going to last...those things."

Kaidoh blinked owlishly. "How...?"

Choharu sighed. "It's really hard to explain, you know. All I know is that Amika is one of the best when it comes to that specific kind of play."

"So then it would be hard for Kisana-san?" Oishi asked.

The dark-haired girl blinked at him. "I didn't say that, Osihi-senpai."

_"Game: Amika Kurosu. 4 games all! Change court!"_

Kisana sighed to herself. The game has been dragged far longer than she would have wanted. But since its Amika...

_'I guess I don't have a choice then._' She shook her head slightly. Amika _always_ gets her to do this. Stubborn girl.

She went to her service area. Lifting her left shoulder once...twice..until she felt the tension leave her. She then stared at her younger sister...no-her opponent. Amika's stance is confident, not a trace of hesitation. Kisana couldn't help but feel proud...and scared at the same time. How long until Amika surpasses her? She couldn't wait.

But for now...

She ignored the startled gasps from the spectators-nor the sighs and groans she knew came from her team mates and youngest sister.

She grasped her racket in her left hand, on her right, she bounced the ball three times. Staring straight in her sister's eyes...she saw a smile form in Amika's lips. '_I'm ready.'_

Kisana smiled, her eyes turning serious. '_Good, because I won't hold back anymore.'_

The ball dissolved in a flurry of dust and sounds.

_"Game and Match: Kisana Kurosu. 6 games to 4!"_

The crowd was silent. Most of the spectators are looking at the court with open-mouthed astonishment, eyes bulging and jaws dropped to the ground.

"Holy shit!" Momo couldnt help but cuss.

"Nyah...those two are scary!" Eiji yelped behind Oishi, who was still looking at the two girls at the court.

"_I second that..._" Kaidoh thought. He hissed, but in his eyes is a shining respect for the two females. It was better than some of the game he's watched during the tournaments last year.

"Not...bad." Ryoma murmured under his breath, earning him a stare and a nudge from Rin and Sairi.

"Told'ja brat." the pink-haired junior said with a smirk.

Inui and Choharu are comparing data in one side; Sakuno was looking with chocolate-brown eyes brimming with admiration at the two girls; Hina is lost in her own little world...filled with data and stats from the recently concluded game.

Fuji smiled. "Saa... Kisana-chan is truly the ace of the female team, but I wouldn't be surprised if Amika-san became an ace as well. Na, Tezuka?"

The male captain remained silent. His eyes are staring at the grinning girl.

Beside her obviously more popular sister, Amika is shining with her own light.

* * *

After confirming the results of the matches, the team was finally ready to make its decision about the line-up.

Inui stepped forward, in his hand is a paper. "Here's the result of the voting. Out of 76 new members of the team, 100% voted Kisana Kurosu for the seat of interim captaincy."

A loud applause was heard as the girl stepped forward and bowed. "Arigatou minna-san."

"Now, as previously discussed and agreed, the captain will decide on who will be regulars. Members have the right to question her decisions, given that they have sound arguments."

The girls nodded amongst themselves. They already knew who made the cut. Still, they wanted to hear.

Kisana smiled at the people in front of her. "First of all, I will choose my vice-captain. This person has been with me through the years, ever since I decided to revive the Seishun High female team. I do believe that there's no other person capable of standing beside me as I lead this new team to the Nationals."

Her eyes strained across the crowd. "Resha Takami. I name you my vice-captain. Do you accept?"

A wide smile broke out in the girl's face as she rolled her eyes playfully at the other girl. "Che. As if any other can keep up with you." She then walked forward and clasped Kisana's hand.

"Good. I wouldn't have accepted a _'no'_ for an answer." Kisana answered. "As for the regulars..." she scanned the paper in her hand. "I am proud to say that there was a lot of potential...however, not all of these people will be able to make it." She smiled blankly at the crowd of girls in front of her. "But I have made my decision."

"Miyuki Kanama."

There was a murmur of agreement as Miyuki raised her head, a look of surprise in her face. "But I lost."

"So?" the captain asked.

She said nothing.

"Sairi Akayama."

The pink-haired snorted while sporting a cocky smirk.

"Rin Hakeyama."

"YAY!" Rin grinned at the announcement.

"As all of you know, these girls have been with the team for the longest time. But that isn't the reason why I chose them." Kisana said, "I chose them because of their skills. Just like how I'll be choosing the newest members of this team."

"Choharu Kurosu."

Choharu's glasses glinted as the people around her parted.

"Hina Fumiko."

"Sakuno Ryuzaki."

Two startled gasps were drowned by the sound of bewilderment and questions from the crowd. Kisana ignored them.

"And...Amika Kurosu."

Amika's smile was the brightest.

"This is the newly revived Seishun High Female Tennis Team." Kisana stared at them one by one, "and together, we will take the tournaments by storm...and bring home the trophy."

_"Yes."_

_"Ha-Haii!"_

_"Hmmm."_

_"HELL YEAH!"_

_"Those shits are about to go down."_

_"Rin and Sairi LANGUAGE!"_

_"Awww...Fukubuchou!"_

Amika grinned at her older sister.

"Feels good ne, Kisa-Kisa?"

"Ah...it does."

It does.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Yukimura stared at his running team members quietly, his mind going back to what happened earlier.

_They were inside their clubroom, going about their training menu when Yanagi suddenly dropped a bomb to them._

_"Echizen Ryoma is back."_

He remembered hearing Akaya yelped while Marui dropped his cake into the ground.

_"Seigaku High?" Yagyuu asked._

_"Seigaku High." was Yanagi's answer._

_After a few moments of silence, Yukimura finally ordered his members to start their usual run. _

_Akaya all but run out of the clubroom; Marui and Masaharu hot on his heels._

He felt the presence of his two team mates. He kept his eyes where they were.

"Our chances of winning the nationals this year...has slightly gone down." Yanagi announced in that flat voice of his.

Sanada scoffed but remained silent, his deep-brown eyes focused on his captain. Ever since Yanagi announced about the 'brat's' return, their captain has become silent. True, Yukimura has always been silent, but this is different.

"Kaidoh Kaoru and Momoshiro Takeshi have been confirmed as regulars for Seigaku."

"Those two aren't a problem." Sanada answered.

Yanagi shook his head. "Wrong. They are a part of our future problem. Don't forget that their skills have improved dramatically over the years."

"Same as our players."

"Ah. But we still have to be extra careful. There's a 67.12% that we will face them at the nationals."

Sanada frowned, but didn't comment any longer.

"Yukimura."

"Hai?"

Yanagi and Sanada exchanged a frown and a look.

"They're finished running their laps." Sanada informed him.

Yukimura blinked his eyes. "Oh."

"Should we have practice matches?"

Again, the captain didn't answer. Instead, he motioned to their junior with his racket. "Rally with me, Akaya-kun."

The said junior grinned, but faltered upon seeing the serious look on his captain's eyes. "Uh...hai, Buchou!"

"Masaharu and Marui, play a game against Yanagi an Yagyuu." Yukimura continued while walking towards one of the courts, "Kuwahara, rally with Sanada. Non-regulars, do 500 swings."

Marui started to protest, but the look that Sanada and Yanagi has given him was enough for his voice to die down and scramble on his feet. Masaharu and Yagyuu exchanged a look.

"Damn...Buchou is serious!" the silver-haired trickster mumbled to his usual doubles partner.

"Understandably so. Seigaku being led by Tezuka-kun with the Tensai is scary enough. And now Echizen has joined the fray." Yagyuu answered, "Buchou has every right to be worried."

Masaharu scoffed. "Echizen is just one kid. What is there to be scared of?"

"He has beaten Buchou once."

"Buchou has just gotten out of surgery then."

"And Echizen was just 12 years old then, and he has survived YIPS and won."

"..."

Yagyuu shook his head slowly, straightening as he brought out his racket from his bag. "Seigaku has beaten us once. There's no guarantee that the same won't happen again."

"Well, there's no guarantee that it would, right?"

Yagyuu stared at him then. He saw the confidence in his friend's eyes, the same look he always had every time they would play-and win.

"Ah."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

After watching the selection matches, Ryoma found himself back at their own courts, his tennis bag slung at his shoulder. Some members were also loitering around, some were hitting balls back and forth, while some are just doing their swings. Seems like club activities are still not in full swing.

His mind went back to the girl's matches...especially that last one.

_'Those girls...are not so bad.'_ He smirked. He remembered the pink-haired girl saying something along the line of him _'choking on his own spit_'...or something like that. Che. As if.

"What are you doing standing there, Echizen?" a stern voice said behind him. He didn't turn around. "Run 25 laps with the rest of the members."

"Hai, Buchou."

Tezuka watched as the freshman made his way out of the court and joined non-regulars on their run.

"He seems to be adjusting well."

"Hn."

Oishi stood beside his captain, Inui trailing behind him. "I got a call just now. They say the schedule for the district tournament was released earlier this afternoon."

Tezuka nodded mutely.

"I will send it to your mail later."

"Ah."

"There's a 98.10% that we will face Ishigaki High at the finals." Inui stated.

"Hn."

"They reached the quarterfinals last year, didn't they?" Oishi asked with a slight frown. There has been a tremendous change amongst participating high schools since two years ago. High schools like Ishigaki have been gaining a lot of skilled players, and with that-attention.

"Yes. Though I'm quite confident to say that they only have a 18.00% of beating us this time."

"We can't afford to be careless." Tezuka said in a stern voice, his eyes following the running members, "This year will be different than the last one."

The two nodded as one.

"Saa...what are the three of you talking about?"

Oishi turned to find Fuji smiling while walking towards them. Beside him are Resha and Miyuki.

"Fuji!" he smiled at the two girls. "Takami-san, Kanama-san!"

Resha grinned at him while Miyuki nodded in acknowledgement.

"Is something wrong Resha?"

Resha walked up to Inui while shaking her head at him. "Nope!" she hugged his left arm, grinning up to him.

"I bumped into them when I walked out of the clubroom," Fuji said, "and then Takami-chan here said that she wanted to see you Inui-kun."

"Yeah!" the girl agreed enthusiastically while nodding her head, "Kisana-chan dismissed us earlier. She said we should take a rest before we start our super intense training tomorrow!"

Miyuki sighed when Tezuka stared at the hyper-active girl. "Resha-chan, no need to shout you know." She mumbled as she aimed an apologetic smile at the male captain.

Resha pouted while Fuji chuckled at her. "Super intense training? That sounds interesting."

"You bet! I wonder which regimen we will be having first...or maybe that girl has devised some new sadistic training menu. I swear she's worst than you Sada-kun!"

Inui didn't even flinch when Resha punched his arm. "I don't know what you are talking about Resha."

Oishi laughed when Resha narrowed her eyes at the data-man before punching his arm once more. "You seemed energetic even after playing intensely Takami-chan."

"Oh! It was nothing really! We're used to playing this much even before so it was no big deal!"

"Really?"

"Yep! Me and Miyuki always play three-set games three times a week!"

"Wow..."

Miyuki smiled at him. "When you have someone like Kisana-san in your team, you don't have any choice but to better your best every time."

"I see."

"Saa...why are you so quiet Tezuka?"

Tezuka snapped his eyes at the _innocently_ smiling tensai. "Hn." He was saved from further answering when the other three regulars made their way towards them. Eiji and Momo teasing Kaidoh mercilessly.

_"Shut up baka!"_

_"Who're you calling baka?! Huh, Mamushi!"_

_"Oi! Oi!"_

"Stop arguing or run 20 laps again."

The cold voice had the three stop arguing and shouting all at the same time. Resha giggled at the bashful look on the junior's faces.

Eiji, hearing the giggle, immediately perked up upon seeing the two females. "Takami-chan~~Kanama-chan~~~!"

Momo stared at the two girls as well. "Oh, hey senpai! Wanna play a game?!" he asked excitedly.

"Momo..." Oishi started slowly, but then stopped when Resha grinned at the junior, then to her friend.

"We'd love to, but Kisana-san specifically said for us to rest so..."

Miyuki nodded. "And besides, it's late as it is. We have to go."

Momo's face fell upon hearing that. "Oh...then, maybe next time senpai?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

"Sure! No problem!" Resha agreed readily.

_"YOSHA!"_

"Is it really okay?" Oishi asked in a worried tone, his eyes darting from Resha and his captain.

Tezuka rubbed his temples but remained silent.

"No worries! The extra practice wouldn't hurt." the girl replied.

"Your captain might not agree." Tezuka interjected.

Resha waved her hand at him. "I'm sure Kisana-san wouldn't mind!"

"Speaking of Kisana-chan, where is she?" Fuji asked quietly.

Inui and Oishi shared a sigh.

"We left her at the Director's office." Miyuki answered.

"Eh?!" Eiji reacted. "Is something wrong?!"

Resha shrugged. "It's about our new team members. The Director wanted to ask about their academic status."

"What for?" Momo asked. Kaidoh hissed beside him.

"It is one of their requirements for agreeing about the revival of the team."

Inui stared at the girl beside him, catching the change on her tone.

"They told Kisana-san that the members should all retain high-academic rankings all through-out the year. If one of us fails to achieve their required marks even in a single subject, the team will be suspended."

The male regulars fell silent. Momo opened his mouth to say something but stayed silent when Kaidoh elbowed him. He shot him an annoyed look but the other glared at him and mouthed a _'keep your mouth shut'_ to him. He hesitantly obeyed.

"Uh...anou," Eiji mumbled beside Miyuki. The girl laughed softly.

"There's nothing to worry about. It'll never happen. Right, Resha-chan?"

The other girl grinned. "Hell yeah! There's no way in hell that one of us will fail!" she raised her fist into the air.

"_Language,_ fukubuchou." a lazy voice drawled behind them.

Resha giggled loudly as she pressed her hand to her mouth. "Ooops! My bad." She turned to see the rest of their team standing near the gate of the court.

Oishi smiled at the girls, his eyes seeking a lone figure. "Come on in minna."

"Nyah! Sakuno-chan!" Eiji exclaimed happily upon seeing the freshman.

"Yo! Sakuno-chan!" Momo greeted her as well.

"Senpai-tachi..." she smiled nervously at them, her eyes darting around the courts.

Momo's grinned at her. "Ochibi's there with the other members Sakuno-chan!"

She felt her face flush. "Uh..." she gulped.

She squeaked when Rin suddenly pushed her as she run inside the courts towards where Oishi and Tezuka were standing side by side.

"Whaaahhh! Mitsu-nii!Shu-kun!"

The rest watched as she tackled the stoic captain into a hug while reaching over and tugging the smiling vice-captain with her left hand.

"Whaaaahhh! I'm soooo happpppyyyy!"

"Then why the hell are you wailing woman?!" Sairi asked in a loud voice. "You haven't stopped crying ever since we walked out of the room goddammit!"

"Shut up you amazon-girl!"

A vein twitched. "How many times have I told you not to call me that you freak?!"

"I'm not a freak you amazon-girl!"

"You are and stop calling me that dammit!"

"I will if you stop calling me 'freak' you pink-haired freak!"

Sairi's eyes narrowed. "You did not just call me 'pink-haired freak' you FREAK!"

The regulars watched in amusement and worry as the two female juniors shouted at each other.

"Ah...anou..."

"Maybe we should stop them...?"

Snicker. "Let them."

Kaidoh stared at the dark-haired girl who was standing beside Sakuno and the other junior girl. She was looking at the scene with boredom clear in her eyes. Even so, she continued scribbling something in her notebook.

Just as Tezuka was trying to pry his Rin from him, a not so amused voice cut through them.

"Hakeyama." He felt Rin stiffen.

"Akayama." Sairi clenched her jaw before gulping down hard.

"50 additional laps tomorrow for the uncalled shouting and cussing."

"Hai Buchou." the two murmured together.

"And another 50 laps for disturbing others with your incessant shouting at the male's court."

Kaidoh and Momo dropped their jaws.

"Hai Buchou."

"Uh...isn't that too much, Kurosu-san?" Oishi asked the smiling girl. Kisana aimed her smile at him, and he felt a cold shiver run down his spine when she opened her eyes and answered him.

"I assure you that running an additional hundred laps is perfectly fine, Oishi-san. Isn't that right, Rin-chan? Sairi-chan?"

The two nodded in unison. "Hai Buchou!"

"See?" the dark-haired girl asked him with a smile. Oishi nodded while gulping, thinking to himself: '_she's scary!'_

Kisana looked at Tezuka. "Gomen for the trouble, Tezuka-san. I apologize for my team's misbehavior."

Tezuka nodded as he averted his eyes from the girl. "Ah. No harm done."

Rin detached herself from Tezuka and moved to stand beside Oishi. She aimed nervous grin at the slightly terrified male.

"How was the meeting Kisana-san?" Miyuki asked the girl.

"It went fine. Nothing to worry about." Kisana shrugged. "Tezuka-san, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Hn."

The others watched as the two captains walked out of the court, Kisana walking slightly ahead of Tezuka.

Fuji followed them with his eyes. He can't help but feel a twinge of irritation at the sight.

"Tsch. They're just going to talk about Rin-senpai. Nothing to worry about."

He turned his head to find Choharu looking at him with bored eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Saa...Am I that transparent, Choharu-chan?"

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Do you really have to ask?"

Fuji laughed softly, shifting his eyes to the rest of his team.

Inui is talking with Miyuki, Resha on his left. The senior girl is currently talking to Hina and Sakuno. Momo and Kaidoh are listening to Inui explain something, while Eiji was hovering behind Sakuno while jumping up and down. Rin and Osihi are talking about pizza and cartoon and manga and...

"Cho-chan! Can you come here please?!" Resha called out suddenly. Choharu frowned but complied nonetheless.

His eyes landed on the silent golden-haired girl. He felt a smile form in his lips. "You're being so quiet, Amika-chan."

Amika tilted her head and stared at him. "Ah... I have nothing to say, Fuji-senpai."

"Haven't I told you to call me by my name, Amika-chan?"

She grinned lightly. "Kisa-Kisa will have a heart attack if I started calling you 'Syusuke-nii' you know."

Fuji chuckled. "Ah...but you can call me 'Syusuke-senpai' at least."

She laughed shortly. When she stopped laughing, her eyes sought out Fuji's. She was silent for a moment, and then her eyes smiled. "Okay."

Fuji shook his head. Despite having feelings for the older Kurosu, he couldn't help but admire Amika's almost-golden orbs. They have a certain quality that is quite endearing...and dare he say, captivating. They weren't golden like Echizen, but they weren't brown either. Her eyes are clear, honest. And he couldn't help but feel bare every time the younger girl would stare at him openly with them.

_'I wonder if Tezuka feels the same...hmmm.' _He chuckled at the thought.

"Is something funny, Syusuke-senpai?"

He smiled at her. "Nothing, Amika-chan. Just a thought."

The girl hummed in reply.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Tezuka walked until he saw Kisana stopped. They are quite a distance away from the courts. '_Is it so important that we have to leave the courts?'_

He wanted to ask her something, but her remained silent and waited for her to talk instead.

"I wanted to talk about Rin-chan." Kisana said.

His eyes snapped towards the girl. "Why?"

"The Director knew about the injury, and he asked me if it was wise to have a previously injured player in the team."

Tezuka felt his jaws clench. "What did you say?"

Kisana stared at the male in front of her.

Tezuka Kunimitsu is known for his prowess at the courts. A formidable player who has scouts scrambling after him. He is the top _male _student of Seishun High, a testament to his intelligence. He is the current Student Council President of the said high school, a testament to his popularity and authority.

He is someone who is perfectly in control of himself and those around him.

So it intrigued her to see him lose his cool momentarily at the mention of his cousin's injury. She has no idea about the two's relationship, though she knows that her kouhai admires and respects the person in front of her right now.

"I told him it is none of his business." she answered with a smile, and was rewarded when Tezuka blinked at him. She chuckled at the sight.

Tezuka cleared his throat. "You...said that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Kisana frowned. "Because it _is_ none of his business. I have the right to choose the members, and I chose Rin-injured or not. What is there to question?"

Tezuka refused the urge to groan. He has known Kisana Kurosu ever since they started high school, being classmates since their freshmen years. But her logic on some things still irks him. She is one of the most infuriating person he knew (and he knew a lot of people like her, Fuji for example).

"Aren't you worried about Rin's previous injury?"

"As you said, it's a 'previous injury'. She's perfectly fine, so I don't see the need to worry." She answered coolly.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?" he asked in an even tone.

Kisana's dark-eyes bore into him. "I wanted to ask you a favor."

He raised an eyebrow. "A favor."

"Yes."

"For Rin?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "What is it?"

She was silent for a moment, as if weighing her words before speaking them. Kisana Kurosu has always been careful of her words, a quality he admired. So he knows that if the girl is taking her time mulling on her words, they must be either too important...or heavy. Or both.

"I wanted to ask you not to interfere with Rin's tennis."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_Leave your burdens behind_

_before moving forward._

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

* * *

**Well!**

**XD**

**How is the story going so far guys?! Tell me what you think. Is it good? Bad? Boring? Nonsense? Not interesting?**

**Please, tell me what you think...so I can think about things before continuing (though I have the story mapped out already. XD)**

**But it will certainly help me if you guys give me some pointers or whatever.**

**Anyways, read and review guys! And bunch of thanks to all of yah!**

**XDXYunaXDX**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Not yet...I still do not own PoT. **

* * *

**Chapter 3: Serve**

* * *

"Please do tell me that you are merely jesting."

Leika Shiffer sat primly and folded her hands on her lap as she watched in silent contemplation her captain who is pacing back and forth in front of her. It is a rare occurrence to see one Shira Anazawa in an agitated manner. Leika felt the need to be on a stable ground if ever an apocalypse is bound to arise.

"I am not." She replied in an even tone. "The data I gathered clearly stated that Seishun tennis team has been granted approval to participate in the upcoming inter-high tournament. And yes, Kisana Kurosu is the one who will be leading the team. They also have Miyuki Kanama in their team."

"Is it really something to be worried about?" Kyera asked in a bored tone, her face propped up by a delicate palm, legs crossed as she eyed her captain. "Seishun High is just one team. They weren't even a seeded one."

Shira frowned, her forehead creased in folds as she stared at the vice-captain. "That is because the team was suspended two years ago. If they weren't..." she rubbed her arms. "And I saw Kurosu play. She is good."

The other girl raised an eyebrow. "So? Is she better than you are?"

Shira glared at her.

Kyera chuckled. "I know Miyuki Kanama, and the way she plays. She's way below you in terms of skills, so she's nothing to worry about. This Kurosu..." she stared at her nails, "I've never heard nor seen her."

"She is good enough, Atobe-san." Leika said, but the vice-captain just dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

"Whatever. I'll decide if she's worth it once I see her play."

Shira sighed deeply as her eyes followed the movements of her other players currently running their laps around the courts.

Shortly after selecting the regulars, she had Leika devise an individual training menu for each of the girls. Aside from that, they are also following a team menu, which all of the members are to follow.

She felt her vice-captain stand beside her. "If you are too worried about Seishun, then we just have to make sure we beat them at the Prefecturals. Surely one or two good players wouldn't be a threat to us." She then walked towards where the other regulars are standing. Shira watched as Kyera approached Mira Yuushi.

"Is what she said right, Leika?" she asked the girl behind her.

Silence greeted her. Leika has always been an honest girl. She will not craft a lie to make other people feel better or to assure them. And right now, Shira desperately wanted to be assured about their future as a team.

"I suggest we take time to learn about the individual players of Seishun." Leika answered after a few seconds. "My current data is incomplete. I cannot draw a conclusion from that."

Shira clenched her jaw. "Alright then. Take all the time you need to gather data about them. Once the district tournaments are over, I want you to give me a complete analysis of their players. And do have something on Rikkai as well. We may meet them at the Regionals."

Leika nodded once. "Hai, Buchou. But for now, I need to gather data on our new players." She opened her purple notebook. "Iyomi-senpai's speed has increased. She may be able to take on Resha Takami as of now. The twins are doing well, they show perfect coordination, among other skills."

"Good. Your menu has surely helped. But I noticed that the power on Yuushi's shots has decreased." Shira observed.

"Hmm. The power was compromised slightly when I asked her to add more angle and spin to her shots. The previous ones are predictable. If she will face an intelligent player, once or twice is enough to calculate the placements of her shots. It would be a huge disadvantage to her."

Shira raised an eyebrow at her kouhai. "Her shots does lack the other basic structures, but was it really necessary to compromise power?"

"It is not. But for now, we have to do it like this. Don't worry Buchou, we will have our power player in her hundred percent for the district tournaments."

"Hmmm. Does that mean..?" Shira trailed off, her voice dropping as she contemplated the thought.

"If this strategy works, Yuushi-san will have another ace up in her sleeve for the Prefecturals and Regionals. I am certain that the other teams have scouts gathering data about us as well. We have to be up and ready for them."

"I understand. Continue then. Just make sure that her doubles partner will be able to keep up with her."

"Hai."

Shira nodded before following her vice-captain's lead. Walking up to the twins, she tapped the younger's shoulder.

The other members scrambled around the courts as the captain arrived, shouting orders and waited as they are carried out.

Kyera, on the other hand, is getting ready to play against one of her team mates. A player she knew well.

"I'm ready now, Mira."

The other girl stared at her with challenge in her green eyes. "Are you sure you up for some ass whoopin' princess?"

Kyera rolled her eyes as a haughty scoff escaped her. "Please. The only ass which will be whooped in this court is yours, commoner."

Mira smirked. "Let's see."

Leika trained her eyes at the two seniors took up their stances. Kyera Atobe has always been a good player, with natural skills honed through training under the best tennis and physical coaches money can afford. Mira Yuushi, on the other hand, has her skills nourished through hard work and discipline. The two are from opposite ends of the spectrum, but they do play well against each other.

A new page is already open as the acting umpire called for the first serve.

On the other court, Shizuka tied her long corn-blonde hair into a ponytail. Her captain has asked to play a game with her, which she agreed to readily. She has long awaited for a chance to test her skills with Shira Anazawa.

"We'll play a set."

"Hai, Buchou."

Shizuka smiled a nervous one when her captain looked at her for a long time before turning and walking towards her side of the court.

"I want you to play your best against me, Madera." She heard the captain say. "Can you do that?"

She blinked a couple of times before answering in a quiet voice. "If that is what you want, Buchou."

The captain didn't reply as she continued walking.

_'Play my best huh?' _Shizuka smiled at the thought...and then she froze. _'Does that mean...!_' Her blue eyes frantically searched her buchou's face.'._..she knew_?'

She felt her sweat trickle down her back, as her throat grew dry. If the captain knows, then the vice-captain does too, and of course, Leika Shiffer too. Will they pressure her to play better than she's always had? If that happens, what will Shin think? Or better yet, should she?

It has been years since the last time she played seriously, and it ended so badly. She closed her eyes as she felt the familiar chill on her skin. She doesn't want it to happen again.

She doesn't want to lose someone close to her again.

_'One set match between Shira Anazawa and Shizuka Madera. Anazawa to serve!'_

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

_The match was over, but still, Shizuka panted as she laid her back on the ground. Her left arm is shielding her face, while her right is thrown unceremoniously around her, her racket lying somewhere._

_She can only hear the sound of her deep breathing, the beat of her heart in tune with it._

_'I want you to play your best against me, Madera.' Play her best._

_'I want you to play your best against me.'_

_ ...play your best._

**_Was that my best?_**

_'Out! 40-love!'_

_'Fault!'_

_'Double fault!'_

_'Game: Anazawa, 4 games to love!'_

_'Game and match: Anazawa. 6 games to love!'_

_She gritted her teeth as the memories of the recent match echoed through her tired mind. She knew she can return those shots. She knew she can serve and hit aces. She knew she can run after every single ball. And she knew she can play better than she did._

_But...why couldn't she?_

_Her tired mind drifted off as she contemplated on her answer._

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

**"**Was that really necessary?" Mira murmured as she stared at the girl outside through the single window of their clubroom. She can hear the other girls moving around her.

"It is." Kyera answered her. "If she can not play at her best at all given times, she has no business being in the team."

"I know, but Shizuka-san has always been a little bit timid. Reserved. And maybe she's not used to playing Singles." She reasoned out in a quiet voice.

She heard her friend let out a seemingly annoyed sigh. "Mira, we are Hyotei. We should be able to play at _any given time._ That includes playing outside your comfort zone."

Mira did not answer. She knows how Hyotei does things. She's been here for more than five years already.

She chose Hyotei because of their extremely high standards. Being accepted at this prestigious school was one of the best things that has ever happened to her.

But sometimes, she can not help but wonder if she really does belong in this place.

And maybe Shizuka Madera feels the same as her.

Kyera's voice brought her mind back to the topic at hand. "If she really wants to be a part of this team, she'll bounce back. It's a matter of how important this is for her."

"Ah. I guess you're right."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"Arn~~ you've really done a number on her, na, Anazawa?"

Shira did not need to turn to know who joined her at the room.

"What do you want Atobe?"

"Ore-sama just wanted to ask how things are going in your team."

Shira signed her name at the bottom of her note with a flourish. Her eyes lingered at the cursive writing. She needed a change of brush.

"Things are going well. We are ready for the district tournaments."

"Ahn. Ore-sama is looking forward to see you take the trophy then."

"As I am to your team, Atobe."

A jeering snort answered her statement. "Ore-sama does not need to concern himself of that. What concerns Ore-sama is the next tournament."

"Ah. I heard Echizen Ryoma is back at Seishun." She raised a brow at the young man sitting at the couch. Being the President of Student Affairs certainly is an advantageous position at Hyotei.

"Arn~~ that brat is not Ore-sama's concern either." Atobe smirked, "Tezuka Kunimitsu is the only player of Seishun that matters to Ore-sama."

Shira chuckled. "Right. Do you really expect me to believe that Atobe? The last time I checked, there is another player from Seishun you are extremely interested at." Her voice took a low tone as her sharp eyes stare unabashedly at the man in front of her.

Atobe merely raised an elegant brow at her, his lips in a minuscule smirk that sets Shira's heart to a race. She willed her face not to burn.

"Arn~~ jealous Anazawa?"

She snorted. "As if, Atobe. I've gotten over that short moment of foolishness."

_Right._ She just cried over the matter for a whole week.

Atobe stared at her, the smirk still evident. But his eyes aren't mocking, that as much she could tell. "Arn~~ Ore-sama does not feel he has to answer that statement." In one fluid movement, he stood up from the couch. "Ore-sama will leave now. Good day, Anazawa." With a bow, he left her there.

She released the grip that she has on her brush, as she let go of the nervous breath she has been holding the whole course of the conversation. Atobe Keigo never failed to make her feel this way. And she hated herself on how weak and fragile her emotions are when it comes to the King.

_'I will make you regret of your decision one day, Atobe Keigo.'_

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Saiya sighed as she sat down at the bus, shifting on her side so she is facing her friend a little.

"Why aren't you with your boyfriend again?" she asked the redhead beside her.

Ayame sighed, pushing her glasses up in her nose. "He went with his team mates to look at a new tennis machine."

Saiya snorted. "Aren't the equipment we have at school enough? Why do they need to buy a new one?"

Her friend stared at her blankly. "You bought a new one few days before school started. Don't be such a hypocrite."

She pouted, making Ayame roll her light-green eyes at her. "And besides, didn't you ask me to ditch him for the meantime so you can talk to me without him '_breathing down my neck'_?" she asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"Awww. So bestfriend still comes first before boyfriends eh?" Saiya teases.

"Shut up you."

Saiya grinned. Tapping Ayame's arm, she said. "So fire away, Ms. Data Woman. I want you to tell me everything that you know about our rivals so far."

"Where do you want me to start then?"

"Let's start with the teams in our district. Who amongst them are we gonna face in the district finals?"

Typical Rikkai attitude, Ayame thought before launching in a detailed presentation of the other teams in their district. The tournament hasn't even started yet, but her captain has already took upon herself to declare their winning it. Though as far as the data she gathered is concerned, the notion isn't too far off.

"So bottom line is, we're going to face Okugami High at the finals?" Saiya asked as soon as Ayame finished her monologue.

"98.11%." Ayame answered. "They do have some good players. Though not that impressive. I dare say we'll take them at Singles 3."

"Well, it's up to you then."

Ayame sighed. "If I must."

The two of them exchanged a smirk.

"Let's continue. Where do you want to go next?"

"Hyotei. How's Anazawa doing?"

"Well, your dear rival has just finished choosing her cohort. Kyera Atobe is her lady-in-waiting. Remember her?"

Saiya nodded, her golden eyes staring ahead of her. "St. Mary's?"

"St. Mary's." Ayame confirmed. "And then she has the Madera Twins. They have a very clean record from last year's tournament, though they weren't part of the party the previous captain sent for the semi-finals."

Saiya remembered the corn-yellow haired twins: a game-maker and a support player. They were quite good.

"And then she has Mira Yuushi. She's that power player from all the elimination games. Like the twins, she wasn't part of the 1st stringers. She's a senior. And then Iyomi. Maisa Iyomi."

"Shit." Saiya hissed (an elderly woman at the opposite lane looked at her in disapproval).

"Yes. Shit indeed." Ayame agreed, her grim expression mirroring Saiya's. "She's going to be a real threat. She was part of last year's Best 14. We cannot underestimate her."

"Certainly. Who do you think can go up against her?"

"I can take her. But I have a sneaking suspicion that she will be playing doubles."

Saiya nodded. "Okay then. I'm sure the Moriyama's can handle her. Who else?"

"Leika Shiffer. She's a junior. She plays like me."

"What position is she playing?"

"Probably Singles 3. There's an 89.03% chance actually. Atobe is Singles 2, and the captain in Singles 1. The twins and then Yuushi and Iyomi for their doubles pairs."

Saiya hummed, her head nodding slowly. "They have a strong line-up. What's their chances?"

"They have a 79.00% chance of winning in their district. Going to the Prefecturals-I'll give them 40.00%, since they will be going against Seishun. Regionals-30.00%. Nationals-20.00%. Of course, these stats could change as time goes by. There are so many variables involved."

"I see. Seishun."

Ayame sighed uncharacteristically. "As predicted, Kisana Kurosu was chosen interim captain. Of course, we all know that the captaincy is anything but temporary."

"Right." Saiya agreed. "Only she can lead a beat-up team like that."

"We both know her team is anything but beat-up. Resha Takami is the vice-captain."

A soft smile graced the captain's face, remembering the tangerine-orange haired girl she met last year. "I see. I wonder how good she is now."

Ayame gave her five seconds to go down memory lane-and then she continued. "Miyuki Kanama will probably be their Singles 3. Sairi Akayama and Rin Hakeyama retained their spots."

Saiya raised an eyebrow. "Akayama is the one with the spin return right?" Ayame nodded. "And Hakeyama was that Shitenhouji reject."

"Hmmm. She's recovered from her injury."

"She's not a threat to us. Who else?"

Ayame cleared her throat. "The twins."

Saiya's neck snapped. "_Those_ twins?"

"Yes."

"Freaking double shit." She mumbled under her breath. Those twins are _good._

"Agreed. They are going to be a thorn in our side."

Saiya made a face."More like pain in the ass. So those are the seven players huh."

"There are two others. Another freshman and a junior."

"I'm sure they are not of a threat to us. When are they going to start with their district tournaments?"

"First week of June. Prefecturals after three weeks, so that will be first week of July. I think Regionals will start on the third week of September. And then Nationals will start on the first week of November." Ayame replied. "Those are the tentative dates, but I am almost certain that they will not change."

"I see. Keep your eye on the district finals. I want to get a head start on all the teams that we may face in the coming tournaments."

Ayame nodded. "Leave it to me."

Saiya smiled, but her eyes remained glued outside.

Ayame stared at her friend. She knows what's going on Saiya's mind; the girl's expression says it all. "Want to grab a smoothie on the way home?" she offered.

"As long as it's your treat."

She scoffed. "You're so damn stingy."

Her friend just grinned at her.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Kisana stared at the piece of paper she has in front of her. Her eyes lingered at the words, but her brain refuses to comprehend what it is that she is reading. She let out an annoyed sigh. She has been staring at the same piece of paper for the last fifteen minutes or so. But she just couldn't wrap her brain around it.

_'This is a waste of my time._' She set the paper down on her desk. Leaning back, she massaged her temple with her right hand, her left playing with the pen. She was supposed to write an essay for her Social Sciences class. She was in the middle of it, but then her brain just suddenly shut down.

Talk about worse timing in history.

_'You have no right to ask me that.' _She frowned when she remembered the ice-cold tone that is Tezuka Kunimitsu.

_'I do. I am her captain.'_

_'I am her cousin. I have every right to worry and protect her.'_

Their discussion came to a stop when the school bell rung, signalling the end of the school day. She remembered him staring at her with cold and hard eyes. She met his stare with her own.

And now, she couldn't help but worry, even if for a little bit. Was it the right decision to approach the male captain? Or was she supposed to let things settle down first?

But time is of the essence, that she always believed.

_'Well, no use wondering about that. What done is done.' _She just hopes her recent action wouldn't cause her headaches in the future.

A knock on her door startled her. "Yes?"

Choharu peeked at the door. "Dinner?" she asked.

Kisana smiled. "Ah." she stood up from her chair. "Where's Amika?"

"Setting the table. What were you doing?"

"Nothing. I'm hungry, what do we have for dinner?"

Her younger sister shrugged. "I forgot what it's called."

She laughed, ignoring the pointed look from the younger girl.

"By the way, what do you think of our new members?" she asked Choharu as they were going down the stairs.

"Ryuzaki-san needs to improve the most. Her serve is okay, but her first serve percentage is what bothers me. Fumiko-san is actually quite good. Her stats is impressive. And did you know that she saw a pattern in Amika's play? She's the fifth person to have done that, and in such a short time."

Kisana smiled, unsurprised. "Really? She's highly observant then."

"Not just that. I think she's also a data-player."

"Might be. She's highly intelligent, especially in the mathematics field. And she has a good form." Kisana answered, her mind going back to when she first saw the junior play a full game.

"Hmm. I think so too. Ryuzaki is good, that much I can tell. Her personality is what actually worries me though." Choharu shot a look at her sister. "She's too.._.fragile._"

The other girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

Choharu shrugged. "I don't know." she frowned. "I saw her freeze during her game-in _all_ of her games. Tennis is 90% psychological, and I think she cannot handle the pressure just yet."

"Hmm. We just have to make sure she can then."

Choharu stared at the back of her sister, mulling about those last few words. _'Surely she's not going to do **that**...right?'_

Silence greeted and answered her question.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Miyuki sat rigidly on her chair as her father droned on and on about her older sister's recent achievement. Her Kiyomi-nee-chan has just received a commendation for her research paper.

"And the Director told me, _'Kanama-san, your daughter is the most brilliant student we've ever had for the last 20 years!_'" he stopped for added effect. "_Twenty years!_ Can you believe that?! I've never been prouder!"

To which her mother agreed eagerly. They then launched on to another discussion on whether to sent Kiyo-chan to a more prestigious university. Maybe somewhere in Europe? Or even better, in the United States. Surely Kiyo-chan won't have any difficulty in qualifying for Harvard? or maybe in Cambridge.

After ten minutes or so, her parents went back to eating. They have seemingly exhausted themselves of praising their oldest daughter.

And now, their attention is solely focused on her. Miyuki waited for the opening words.

"How about you Miyuki?" her mother asked gently, "how's school?"

"Have you improved your standing yet?" her father added.

Miyuki smiled a placid one to the two. "The first monthly standings wasn't released yet, father. But I have received my first test papers for this term."

"And how are they?"

"They are good. I received a 98% on my Math test, and 95% on my Physics test."

Her father grunted. "Not bad. But you can do better."

Her mother nodded sympathetically, but her lips are pursed in a thin line. "Yes dear. Please do remember that you needed to have good grades in both Math and your sciences if you're going to pursue medicine, all right?"

"Hai, mother."

She was dismissed with a smile.

She stared at the plate in front of her, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her chopsticks. The food tasted bitter on her tongue, as bitter as the disappointment that arose in her chest.

She remembered the excited and happy faces of some of her classmates when they received their test papers this morning. Some of them didn't even get more than a 90%, but they looked as if they've gotten a hundred instead.

She remembered the feeling of pride that she felt upon receiving her results, knowing that she has bested more than half of her class. She proudly showed off her answers to a few who wanted to review theirs, wanting to understand where they had gone wrong.

She knew it was way too early to celebrate.

"By the way," her mother's voice snapped her out of her reverie, "I bought you new books. They are in your room. Do read them okay?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, thankful that her voice didn't waver when she answered. "Hai. Arigatou."

Her mother smiled as though she has done Miyuki the greatest service.

Later that night, Miyuki pushed the medical books to the bottom of her drawer.

And locked it, along with a couple more books left untouched.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

The following morning, Miyuki found herself sitting beside her captain, a book open between them as they perused the pages in preparation for the quiz that their teacher has assigned.

Some of their classmates are reading as well, while some are out in the hallways, waiting for the bell to ring. She can hear snippets of conversation from some of them.

"Saa...can I join your study session, Kisana-chan, Kanama-chan?"

She raised her face to see Fuji Syusuke standing on her left, a smile on his face as he looks at the two of them.

"Fuji-san..." she mumbled, her eyes darting towards the two other males standing behind the brunette.

His smile widened as his eyes travelled towards the girl on her side. "Ohayou, Kisana-chan."

She watched as Kisana smiled back, her eyes flicking in between the three newly arrived classmates, and then back to the book she was reading. "Ohayou, Fuji-kun. Inui-san, Tezuka-san."

Inui returned the greeting with a nod, while Tezuka grunted before walking stiffly towards his seat.

Fuji chuckled while Inui shook his head and wrote something on his notebook.

"Saa...it seems the two of you have some unpleasant disagreements, Kisana-chan."

Kisana looked up and blinked her eyes at Fuji. "Hmmm...? I am not sure I understand what you mean Fuji-kun."

A soft laugh was Fuji's reply. "I'm sure you don't Kisana-chan, but..." he opened his eyes to stare softly at the other girl, "I hope everything will be cleared up between the two of you Kisana-chan."

"Everything is okay. There is nothing to worry about, Fuji-kun."

Miyuki exchanged a look with Inui and Fuji as they watched the girl return to her reading. Kisana has always been a difficult person to read and predict. She has long given up trying to comprehend how the girl's mind works.

"Well, I think we still have a few minutes left to study eh?"

She gave the smiling male a smile before nodding and reading up on her own notes.

At lunchtime, Miyuki found herself sitting in front of Resha, Rin, Sairi and Hina. The three juniors talking about their recent mathematics test.

"I tell you if you don't pull up above 95% on our next test, your ranking will more likely to suffer."

Rin rolled her eyes as she playfully stuck her tongue at the pink-haired girl. "I hate math! I swear those numbers have some grudge towards me! I don't get them at all!" she stuffed a large portion of rice into her mouth before crossing her arms in her chest and chewed rather forcefully.

Resha sighed as she massaged her temples. "Rin-chan, I am sure those numbers do not hate you. You just have to try harder."

Rin continued on chewing, leaving the vice-captain exasperated. Resha rolled her eyes before turning to the silent junior. "Well, how about you Hina-chan? Is everything alright?"

Hina flushed at the attention. "H-Hai, fukubuchou."

"She's a genius, so unlike Hakeyama here, she doesn't have to worry about her test results." Sairi answered before biting into her sandwich.

Resha grinned at the flushing junior. "That's good to hear Hina-chan! At least we only have to worry about Rin-chan here when it comes to our grades!"

"Hey fukubuchou! That's mean!" Rin wailed.

"Stop it Rin-chan." Miyuki chided sternly. "You're attracting too much attention."

Indeed, other students at the cafeteria are now looking at them. Some are staring with open amusement, while some are shooting them with hostile looks. Hina shivered at a glare that was sent towards her.

She glanced nervously at her team mates. "Ah...anou..."

"Don't worry about it, Fumiko-chan." Sairi said to her in a bored tone, "those who are glaring at you are just jealous that you made it to the team. Sour losers." she smirked as some of the girls who were eyeing their table earlier turned away with a huff. "See?"

Resha patted her hand. "Don't mind them, Hina-chan. They are not going to hurt you at the very least."

"Yeah," Miyuki agreed, "and even of they do, please do tell us about it. We'll handle them."

"Or have Kisana at their cases." Resha grinned, "I'm sure they wouldn't like that."

Rin giggled joyfully at the statement.

"Stop giggling when your mouth is full Hakeyama." Sairi poked Rin's cheek, "you look like a stuffed pig."

"I do not!"

The two then went on to have another bickering argument.

"Oi!Oi!" a cheerful shout had them whipping their heads towards the entrance. "Nyah! Let's have lunch together nyah!"

Oishi sighed in defeat as he follows the redhead energetic acrobat towards the table where the girls are sitting at. He returned Rin's bright grin with a smile.

"Gomen, minna. Eiji here saw you and insisted we share the table with you."

Resha waved his concern with her hand. "No worries!" her eyes landed on the data-man. "Sada-kun! Sit here with me!"

The tall data-man didn't need to be told twice. Miyuki shook her head in an amused manner as her friend started nagging at her boyfriend. She turned her eyes to the remaining males.

"Please take a seat." she offered with a restrained smile.

Rin eagerly took Oishi's arm and made him sit beside her, while Tezuka stiffly sat beside his vice-captain.

"Yo! Akayama!" Momo greeted the silent girl. Sairi merely stared at the dunk specialist before returning to her sandwich.

Kaidoh sat beside the silent junior girl. "Fshhhh."

Hina smiled weakly at him. Eiji took the other seat beside her.

"Nyah! Fumiko-chan I like your hair!"

Ryoma eyed his team mates who are now sitting comfortably beside the girls. There were only two remaining seats: one beside the blue-haired senpai, and the other beside Inui-sempai.

He took the latter.

"Saa...it is rare for us to eat lunch together, na, Kanama-chan?" Fuji asked the girl with a smile.

"Indeed, Fuji-san."

"We should always have lunch together from now on!" Rin announced in an excited voice. "What do you think Shu-kun? Mitsu-nii?!"

Tezuka grunted but remained silent. Oishi smiled at the hyper brown-haired girl. "I guess it's okay, but we wouldn't want to intrude." He eyed the two silent junior girls.

"I'm sure Sairi-chan and Hina-chan wouldn't mind!" Resha answered as she sent a smile towards the pink-haired girl. Sairi grumbled

"You just wanted to eat lunch with Inui-sempai, fukubuchou."

Resha raised an eyebrow. "So?"

The other girl huffed but didn't answer.

"Nyah! How about you Fumiko-chan?! Ne, ne. Tell me about yourself! What are your hobbies?! Your favorites?! Tell me, tell me!"

They all laughed as Hina flushed deeper than a tomato.

"Eh?" Momo suddenly exclaimed, his eyes looking at each of the girls. "Where are the others?"

"Yeah..." Kaidoh cleared his throat as he too looked around him. "I can't see Ryuzaki-chan around."

"Oh!" Rin blinked her eyes. "I think she's with her friend...Tomo...something!"

"Osakada-san?" Oishi said. Rin nodded eagerly.

"Saa...I saw Osakada-san with some other girls. Sakuno-chan isn't with them." Fuji said with a frown.

"The possibility of her being with Kisana-san is 98.11%" Inui declared from beside Resha. "88.08% chance that they are talking about her tennis training."

The male regulars blinked at their team mate.

"You still freak me out every time you do that Inui-sempai." Sairi commented. Sighing, she dusted off her skirt before standing up from her chair. "I'll go take a little nap before class. See yah later maggots."

"MAGGOTS?!" Momo and Eiji both exclaimed as they watched the girl walked out of the cafeteria.

"Hehehehe..." Rin scratched her head. "That's Sairi-chan for you!"

Oishi chuckled. "She's definitely different."

"She's a rebel." Tezuka commented.

"She is." Resha agreed. "But she is a great player. We're lucky to have her in our team."

"If only she'd tone down her language a bit." Miyuki sighed.

"Fsshhh." Kaidoh hissed, "Her language is still crude even inside the classroom. Our teacher always has to remind her of it."

Resha sighed. "Ah. Now that's a problem. I think I have to talk to Kisana-san about this again. She's the only one Sairi listens to anyway."

Tezuka stiffened beside Oishi. He still couldn't forget what the female captain has asked of him the last time they talked. The preposterous favor is still ringing in his ears days after it was made.

"I think you better do. We wouldn't want other people to find a way to shut our team again." Miyuki agreed.

"Anyway!" Resha turned back to Inui, "you were saying you have data for me Sada-kun?!"

"Hn. Do you remember Saiya Hyuki from Rikkai Dai?"

Resha nodded. "Yeah. What about her?"

"She's the current captain of Rikkai female tennis team."

"Oh."

"Saiya Hyuki? Isn't she that girl we met last year?" Miyuki asked her friend.

"Yeah. I didn't know that she is that kind of player." Resha smiled. "Captain huh? I wonder how she'll fare against Kisana-san. Tell me what you know about her Sada-kun."

Inui pushed his glasses. "She's right-handed, originally a singles player but she can play doubles extremely well. She's an aggressive base liner, but her net play is rather good."

"Base liner huh?" Resha chuckled. "Sounds interesting."

Inui nodded. "She has Makino Ishigahara as her vice-captain, and Ayame Toyama as one of her regulars."

Hina gasped loudly, catching the attention of everyone in their table. "T-Toyama-sempai?!"

Resha and Miyuki stared at her. "You know her Hina-chan?"

The blonde nodded her head eagerly, her eyes wide. "She's my sempai in Tokyo Prep. She was the number two student of Tokyo Prep during her time there."

Inui stared at her, his pen gliding across his notebook. "Number two? Who was number one then?"

Hina blinked her eyes at him. "Kisana-sempai of course. They were classmates from primary years to junior high."

"To be the number one student of one of the schools with highest academic standards...Kisana-san is surely something." Oishi commented.

"Do you know about her tennis Hina-chan?" Resha asked eagerly.

"I saw her play a few times. She is an expert at putting irregular spin on her returns, as well as neutralizing spins on the balls she receives. Although she is right-handed, she has a 99% success at playing against left-handed players. She is extremely intelligent, and is a very good data-player. 79.45% of her games ended at 6-0, the rest at 6-1. She prefers long, drawn-out games. She is good at attacking her opponent, but her defense is extremely solid as well."

The three girls, along with the males, stared at the younger girl as she finished with her monologue. Feeling the eyes of her tablemates on her, Hina ducked as her face flushed.

"Nyah...you sounded like Inui-kun Fumiko-chan!" Eiji exclaimed with wide eyes. Momo and Kaidoh nodded in agreement.

"That's scary..." Ryoma said for the first time. Momo reached out and flicked his ear.

"Echizen take it back!" he demanded in a loud voice.

"Che. I meant that Toyama was scary." He murmured angrily. "To be able to play and win against left-handers easily is just...annoying."

Hina smiled at him shyly. "Hai. It is."

"But why only 99% Fumiko-chan?" Fuji asked, his face sporting a tiny frown.

"There was a rumor that she was beaten by Kisana-sempai when they were in first year junior high."

"Kisana-san used her left hand against her?!" Resha sked in a loud voice, surprising the other people sitting with them. Miyuki looked worried as well.

"Th-that's what I heard." Hina answered.

Resha sat back down, eyes wide as she stared at the other senior girl. "You know what this means right?"

Miyuki nodded. "We're screwed."

Rin gasped dramatically. "Miyuki-sempai! Language!"

The girl just rolled her eyes. "This could be a problem for us."

"Well, Rikkai Dai is the current champion right?" Momo said, "It is no wonder they have strong players."

"The unusual thing is, she wasn't a regular last year. So it is quite hard for me to gather data about her." Inui added. "She was a member since two years ago, but she was only made regular recently."

"That's odd." Oishi said. Tezuka and Fuji nodded.

"Well," Resha sighed, "I think we just have to pray that Choharu has something on her. It will be troublesome if we are left in the dark about this."

Rin grinned. "Oh, I think we don't have to worry about it. If there is something that little devil is extremely good at, it's at sniffing out potential threat. As long as we have her, we have nothing to worry about!"

"Is it just me or did you call me 'little devil', Rin-senpai?"

They all turned to see the twins standing behind them.

"Whaaahh! Don't go sneaking up like that you two!" Rin complained while pointing an accusing finger at the two.

Choharu rolled her eyes, while Amika just laughed. "Gomen minna. We didn't mean to startle you."

Rin huffed, sitting down abruptly. "You almost gave me a heart attack Choharu-chan!"

"I didn't mean to." the younger girl answered.

Fuji smiled at the two girls. "Saa...have you two eaten lunch?"

"We already did, Fuji-sempai." Amika answered. "We are actually here to talk to fukubuchou."

Resha turned her head to stare at her. "Eh? Why? Is there a problem?"

Amika smiled uneasily at her. "Ah...Kisana wanted me to tell you that she and Ryuzaki-chan won't be attending the afternoon training today."

"EH?!"

"Why?" Resha asked.

"She said she wanted to play with Ryuzaki-chan privately." Amika answered.

"Oh."

Resha and Miyuki exchanged a worried look, confusing the males around them.

"Eto...isn't that a good idea? For Sakuno-chan, I mean...?" Momo said in a hesitant voice.

"Poor Ryuzaki-chan." Rin mumbled. Oishi and Tezuka stared at her in concern.

"Fshhh." Kaidoh hissed. "Why does it need to be private?"

"I wonder why would she do that..." Miyuki whispered, "do you know the reason why, Resha?"

Resha shook her head. "I have no idea how Kisana-san's mind works."

"You make it sound like the captain will do something weird to Ryuzaki." Ryoma commented.

"Saa...I'm sure Kisana-chan will do nothing of that sort, right, Amika-chan?"

"Ah..haha, maybe?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

Amika stepped back as her eyes widened.

"Momoshiro." Tezuka's voice definitely had a warning tone in it.

"Gomen." Momo mumbled.

"Nyah...I feel worried about Sakuno-chan..." Eiji said in a worried voice.

Choharu rolled her eyes once more. "You guys are over-reacting. Kisana just wanted to fix Ryuzaki-san's serve. And her form. And her shots." she frowned. "It's not like Kisana is going to murder Ryuzaki-san. I'm sure it'll be alright." She snapped her notebook close. "By the way, Inui-sempai. I heard you talking about Rikkai earlier. Do you have data on them?"

Inui nodded. "I got it from my friend."

"Renji Yanagi, right?"

"Hai. How did you know?"

Choharu ignored his question. "If it's from Yanagi-san, then it is only 34.11% complete. He's not that close to the members after all. And Saiya Hyuki is someone who doesn't like people snooping around her yard."

"You have data on them Choharu-chan, right?" Resha asked in an eager tone. "I heard they have Ayame Toyama. Do you know her?"

The twins exchanged a look. "Oh. Ayame-san? Yeah, I know her. We've played a couple of games with her."

"How is her tennis?" Miyuki asked.

Choharu smirked, her dark eyes suddenly had a glint on them. "She's...exciting, I guess. What do you say Amika?"

"Hmmm? Well, she's no fun for me. She doesn't know how to dance."

"Huh?" Oishi blinked at her. "What do you mean by that Amika-san?"

"It means Ayame-san is difficult to pull into her play." Choharu explained. "We can talk about them later, since the lunch bell is going to ring...right about now."

As if on cue, the bell did ring. Ryoma blinked his amber eyes at the girl.

"We're going now. Ja na minna, Inui-sempai, Syusuke-nii-sempai."

"Ja! See you all later!" Amika smiled at all of them before turning on her heel and walking after her sister.

They all watched as the two walked out of the cafeteria.

"Well, that's interesting." Momo commented. Kaidoh hissed his response.

"Unyah. Choharu-san and Fumiko-san both sounded like Inui-kun nyah!"

"..." Hina ducked her flushing face.

Rin blinked her eyes repeatedly at the smiling Tensai. "Eh? Is it just me or did Choharu-chan called you '**Syusuke-nii-**sempai'?"

"Ah. She did."

"It seems you've made 70.11% progress at the first two weeks of school. Impressive, Fuji." Inui announced before muttering 'Ii data' under his breath.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

As soon as the school bell rung, Sakuno sprang from her seat and grabbed her readily packed bag. She made a beeline towards the door, bumping into two other students on her way out. Calling out a hasty 'gomen', she dashed down the stairs and run as fast as her legs could carry her.

_'Meet me at the gates as soon as your class is over. I'll be waiting.'_

She heard from other girls at the tennis club that their captain doesn't like to wait, so it is imperative for them to be always on time.

Staring up ahead, she saw the silhouette of a girl standing near the gate. She run faster.

"I'm here, Buchou." she gasped through her mouth.

"Hm. You're tired from running that distance, Ryuzaki-chan? It seemed we'll have our work cut out for us."

She straightened to see the older girl staring up at something above her head.

"Well then, let's go. Time's a wasting."

"Hai!"

She followed the older girl as she walked with steady steps in front of her. They are almost of the same height, the other girl has only a few centimeters on her. She gulped as she noticed the stretch of silence between the two of them.

Kisana Kurosu is an extremely quiet girl, Sakuno knew of this bit of information from listening to various gossips from students of Seishun. Even inside the classroom, students say that the girl will only talk when asked by their teachers. Even then, her answers are short and direct to the point.

_'Should I say something? Or should I just keep quiet_?' she thought as she eyed the back of the girl.

The path they are walking through now is slightly unfamiliar to Sakuno. All around her, she can see tall trees and different plants. The path is narrow, and seemed not to be walked upon often. They have been walking for almost ten minutes now, so they probably not too far from their school.

"Have you been around this place, Ryuzaki-san?" she heard the other girl ask.

"Uh...no, Buchou."

"I see. Don't worry, it's safe here."

A few more steps, and the girl stopped. "We're here."

Sakuno's eyes widened as she take in the scenery in front of her.

"We're going to be playing here, Ryuzaki-san." The girl is now facing her, her face had a blank mask on. "This is the best environment for you to train at." she said, "At least for the meantime."

"Demo...Buchou! This place is-!" she stammered as her eyes darted around their supposed training area.

"Yes. We're going to play at this surface. No lines. No net. No umpire and no referees. Just the two of us, a tennis ball and our rackets." her dark eyes implored at Sakuno. "This area is the exact measurement of a tennis court. I can see the lines clearly in my head. By the end of our training, you should be able to as well."

Sakuno stood there dumbfounded. How was she supposed to play at a surface like this?

Rocks of different sizes littered the area, some bigger than the others. The surface itself is rough, rugged, with patches of grass growing here and there. As Kisana said, they don't have a net, no side and base lines.

All she has with her is her racket.

"I have one rule during our game, Ryuzaki-san."

She looked up at her captain, and saw the other girl standing at the other side of their 'court'. "Hai?"

"You have to return all of my shots. Every shot you miss, means an additional lap for you to run on our morning training. Understood?"

Sakuno felt her stomach drop. "H-Hai!"

Kisana was silent for a moment.

Sakuno gulped. _'I feel like I am going to die here.'_

"Let's begin."

Sakuno shivered at the cold voice her captain has used. But as the other girl served the first ball, Sakuno can literally feel ice running through her veins, replacing her blood.

She felt her left cheek sting, and her eyes widened even more upon realizing that the ball has just grazed her.

"That's lap number one, Ryuzaki-san. I did tell you to return the ball, didn't I?"

* * *

At the Seishun high female tennis courts, Amika shivered as a cold wind caressed her skin. Her eyes stared at the distant horizon, the glimmer of the afternoon sun burning her lids. She can hear their fukubuchou's voice screaming at them as they run their afternoon laps.

_"Regulars! You are only on your 15th lap! Hurry! Hurry!" _

Rin frowned as she too, rubbed her arms. "Argh! Why is it that I felt cold all of a sudden?!" she hissed under her breath.

Amika watched as her senpai run in front of her, shouting at the pink-haired junior to wait for her.

"Are you thinking about Kisana and Ryuzaki-san?"

She turned to her twin sister, and nodded once. "Ah."

"They'll be fine. Kisana wouldn't decide on this if she thinks Ryuzaki-san cannot endure it."

"I know. But still." she sighed. "I just hope this will strengthen Ryuzaki-san, not break her."

Choharu frowned at her then. "Well, if you do not have trust on Ryuzaki-san's abilities, then trust Kisana. She knows what she's doing."

Amika smiled. "Ah. I know. I trust her of course."

"You're worrying over nothing. Kisana saw something in Ryuzaki-san." Choharu trained her eyes in front of her. "And you know Kisana. Once she saw potential, she will stop at nothing until she sees it flourish. We just have to wait for it."

"Ah."

* * *

The next morning, Ryoma and the rest of their class was surprised to see Sakuno sitting on her desk, numerous band-aids adorning her face. Her arms and legs in an awkward angle, when she moves,she winces as if in pain. And when their teacher asked her (with a startled gasp and a frown) about what happened to her, the girl smiled brighter than she usually did, and in a cheerful voice, answered-

"I just had a tennis practice sensei! Nothing to worry about!"

The whole class has to wonder just what kind of training she went through.

And Ryoma was left blinking in surprise at the brightly smiling, practically shining, band-aided girl.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_The first step,_

_is always the hardest._

******~~~~Ж~~~~**

* * *

**Hmmm...**

**This chapter will probably be the last one before moving on to the start of the tournaments.**

**First up, is the District Tournaments, of course.**

**Leave a thought or two guys, and tell me what am I missing in this story.**

**(A story without a review is extremely depressing) But no pressure!**

**Do read and enjoy! XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**Huh...I was listening to Shiraishi Kuranosuke/Yoshimasa Hosoya's 'Go On' the whole time I was writing this. Is it just me or does he has a super-sexy voice...? (drooling like a fangirl).**

**Anyways, here's another chapter guys! Enjoy! XD**

* * *

**Disclaimer: A thousand more years, and _then_ I will own PoT! mwahahahahahahaah XD**

* * *

** Chapter 6: Line-Up**

* * *

_1st week of May- Seishun High_

Tezuka watched as Ryoma rallied against Kaidoh at one of the courts. The freshman has just recently joined their regular line-up after participating at the first monthly ranking matches held a week ago.

And the junior player wasted no time in demanding training matches with the cocky prince. Of course, he has to win the right over the other rowdy junior player, Momoshiro, who-_currently_-is sulking at having to concede against his greatest rival. Eiji is trying to cheer him up.

"Echizen has greatly improved during his time overseas, na Tezuka."

Tezuka grunted his reply at the Tensai. "How was your match against Inui?"

Fuji smiled. "Saa...I wonder."

"Fuji won me at 7 games to 5." Inui's deep voice answered him. "But I got good data on him. This will help me in our next match."

Tezuka doesn't have to turn around to see the manic grin he knew is painted on Inui's face.

"Hn."

"By the way, Tezuka." Oishi suddenly said from his perch at the bench, a piece of paper on his hand. "I received a call earlier this morning."

"What is it about?"

"It's about the change in the district tournaments' schedule. It seems they moved it up ahead."

Tezuka frowned. "Why?"

"They didn't give me a specific reason." The vice-captain shrugged, a worried frown on his face. "And I couldn't come up with a reason of my own either."

"Hn. I see." Tezuka nodded, "When is it going to be?"

"First week of June."

"It's 8 days earlier than usual." Inui commented. "98.56% probability of the other tournaments to be held earlier as well. Most probably, two weeks in advance."

Fuji nodded. "So it means that the Nationals will be held at around October."

The three male regulars nodded.

"Saa...we have our tennis cut out for us then." Fuji happily announced.

"Do you think we'll have enough time to train for the tournaments?" Oishi asked in a worried voice. "I mean, we're going to have a very hectic schedule, considering that five of us are seniors. What about our studies?"

"There's no need to fret, Oishi." Tezuka said in a calm voice. "We just need to focus on both and make sure we give it our best." His glasses glinted. "And let us not get careless."

Fuji chuckled while nodding his head. "Hai, hai Buchou. With that said," he turned his smiling face to the resident data-man, "didn't you mention earlier that you have a newly improved training juice to be introduced today, Inui-chan?"

Tezuka and Oishi inched a little farther from the two when they saw the way Inui grinned, a malicious glint on his glasses.

"This is the newly improved Inui Premiuim Mix Version 4.3. It is scientifically proven to improve stamina by 88.23% and speed..."

Oishi's face paled as he listened to Inui go on and on about the ingredients of the said drink, and the benefits, of course._ 'I hope we can last until the Nationals.'_

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

"What are we gonna do Buchou?! We can't possibly have enough time to prepare for the district tournament! It's way too early!"

The female regulars watched in amusement as their fukubuchou paced back and forth in front of them, a panicked look in her usually cheerful face.

"I mean, it's only a week earlier, but still! A week is a week! What if we are not ready? And who are we going to send by the way? Do you have any data about our possible opponents?!"

Kisana sighed as she tried her best to stop the laughter from bursting out of her lips. "Calm down, Resha-chan. Panicking will not do us any good, now does it?"

"Demo! This is an unseen variable Buchou! We haven't expected this at all!"

Sairi rolled her eyes at the fretting senior. "Great. Now you're using data-language. Variable? Really, fukubuchou?"

A half-hearted glare was thrown at her. "Hush, Akayama! And stop giggling Hakeyama! This is not a giggling matter!"

Rin's giggles got louder. "But fukubuchou! You looked like Shu-kun when you do that!"

Kisana couldn't help but laugh as well. Resha widened her blue eyes at the captain. "Don't encourage her Kisana!"

"But Resha-chan, you _do_ look like Oishi-san when you got all worried!" Kisana answered, laughter still on her lips.

Resha huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. "Fine! Laugh all you want. Just don't blame me if we got in trouble because of this."

The two juniors chuckled amusedly at the glaring vice-captain, while Miyuki remained silent on her chair.

Kisana finally smothered her laughter and turned to face the other girls with a serious face. Sairi and Rin immediately calmed down and straightened while Miyuki puts down the book she has been reading.

"Alright. So we have to get ready for the district tournaments, where, according to Choharu's data, we probably have to go against two other high schools before the finals. There's a possibility that we are going to face Hoshiyumi High at the final game."

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Hoshiyumi? They are the number one female team in our district right?"

"Yes." Kisana answered.

"Only because we weren't part of the tournaments last year, of course." Sairi added in a smug tone. Rin smirked at her co-junior.

"Don't get too cocky now." Resha reprimanded the two. "Anyway, they do have good players as I recall. Especially the captain and the Singles 1 player."

"Hm. Choharu did say that." Kisana agreed. "But what bothers me is their Doubles 1 pair."

The other four watched as the captain fumbled with a picture in her hand, her eyes staring at each of her team member.

"Last year's junior doubles pair number three, Usui Rina and Tanaka Hana."

Miyuki and Resha frowned at the names. "Wait," Resha snatched the picture, "aren't they from Hyotei?! What are they doing in Hoshiyumi?!"

"I have no idea." Kisana sighed.

"That's only one pair Buchou. Do we really have to worry about them?"

"There's the captain and another two formidable players, Sairi-chan. That's enough to win three games don't you think?" Kisana asked.

"Does the captain plays Singles 3?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Resha frowned. "So how's our line-up going to be then? The district tournaments is only for three days."

"We have nine regulars. I dare say we have enough players for a few games." The captain answered calmly.

Resha nodded. "Right. You're definitely Singles 1. Miyuki and I in Singles 2 and 3." her eyes went to the two juniors. "These two will pair up, so that's Doubles 1. We just have to choose between the four others on whose going to be the Doubles 2 pair."

Kisana hummed, her eyes lingering at the picture and papers in her hand. "Don't you know that Hyotei has been gathering data about us?"

The four girls blinked at the sudden topic.

"Errr-what's _that_ got to do with this?" Resha asked carefully.

Kisana simply smiled. "They have a junior by the name of Leika Shiffer gathering data for them. And I heard she's extremely good at it."

The four girls nodded slowly, not getting what their captain is trying to say.

"She is like their Inui-kun."

"Oh..." Resha nodded her head, getting what Kisana is trying to say. "So what's your plan for that?"

"Saa...I wonder."

Kisana stared out of the window. Their four other members are currently rallying outside: Ryuzaki and Choharu, Amika and Hina. She wanted to know just how much the other freshman has improved, as well as test Hina's observational skills.

The district tournament is a small, almost unimportant variable in her plans for the team. But since they are a newly formed club, she wanted to show the school board that they made the right decision. On the other hand, she doesn't want other teams to have an inkling about the new players in their team. Hina and Sakuno has to be kept a secret.

But, she mused with a slight frown, if the other teams have someone like Leika Shiffer in their team, they will catch on sooner than she would have liked. What to do then?

Without turning to the other girls, she said "We'll have Ryuzaki-chan and Amika for Doubles 1, Choharu and Hina-chan for Doubles 2, Rin you'll be playing Singles 3, Sairi-Singles 2. Miyuki-chan, you'll be Singles 1."

"EH?!"

"Me?" Rin pointed to herself. "Singles 3?! Buchou, are you serious?!"

Even Sairi is blinking at her captain. She has always played Doubles. What's going on?!

Miyuki, on the other hand, nodded calmly. "I see. Using reverse psychology now, Buchou?"

"In chess, we always protect our queen from being too exposed. We guard her, making sure the opponent wouldn't get an opening. The same applies to us when we decide on our line-up. You would want your ace to be the last resort. That's what our opponents would be expecting."

"But with this line-up, your opponent can clearly see your ace." Miyuki pointed out, to which Kisana just laughed, startling her team members.

"Really? And why is that?"

Miyuki blinked and frowned. "Because you'll be exposing your secret ace to them."

"Just who this secret ace exactly is, Miyuki-chan?"

Miyuki opened her mouth, and then closed it as realization dawned on her. "I see."

"I'm glad you get my point."

"You've always been the sly one, Buchou." Miyuki said with a smile. Resha chuckled along with Sairi.

Rin blinked repeatedly. "WAIT! What are you guys talking about?! I don't get it! BUCHOU! Explain it to me!"

"Seriously Hakeyama." Sairi muttered under her breath. "You're so damn clueless."

"Well! How am I supposed to understand if they are talking in circles and riddles!" Rin glared heatedly at the pink-haired junior.

Miyuki sighed as she eyed the glaring junior. "Rin-chan..."

They were startled when they heard the sound of a bag being opened. Turning, they saw their captain retrieving her racket. They stared at each other with wide eyes.

"It means we have to train _now,_ Rin-chan. The others are finished with their laps and warm-up rallies. Let's go."

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Sakuno run towards her left box, watching with careful eyes as the ball became a yellow streak. '_Topspin!' _Her feet skidded as she was suddenly wrong-footed when the ball made a sudden drop. She swung her racket awkwardly, barely hitting the ball with it's tip. The ball met the net.

_'40-love!'_

She gasped as she felt a sudden pain on her left leg. The effects of her training with Kisana-buchou were still there, but she can manage.

"I'll serve now Ryuzaki-san." She heard her fellow freshman say.

"Hai!"

Planting her feet on the ground, she heard her captain's voice in her head.

'_When you are receiving the ball, there are two things you always have to be aware of: the movement of the ball, and the movement of your opponent. They are connected, so do not let go of either.'_

It is easier said than done.

But still, she focused her eyes on the serving form of Choharu. Throwing the ball up high, the girl jumped before hitting it with her racket. '_A fast serve!'_

_'Follow the ball!' _Catching sight of the ball, she raced towards the middle of her court. '_There!'_

Gathering enough power on her arm, she swung her racket and was rewarded with a 'thwack!' The ball sailed out of the courts, untouched.

_'40-15!' _

She smiled as a warm feeling filled her chest. She was finally able to return Choharu's serve!

Her eyes caught the sight of the other girl preparing to serve once more.

_'I'm ready.'_

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Choharu couldn't help but smile despite herself. Ryuzaki has clearly improved, despite the fact that Kisana only played with her for a week.

Her reaction time has gotten faster, her shots increased in power and speed, she can distinguish the path of the ball clearly, and her eyes can now follow her opponent's movements.

Kisana's decision has paid off.

All that is lacking for now is her stamina. After playing for only ten minutes, the girl is already panting, and her shots has gotten a little sloppy. Choharu can feel indecision in some of her shots, an indication that she is not confident yet. A huge problem if this persists.

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

At the other court, Hina is running left and right as she returns all of Amika's shots.

_'Her shots are well placed, landing approximately at the line. How can she do that!'_ She thought as she hit another forehand back to the freshman. Her eyes widened as she run to her left._ 'She's not even running! It's like she knows where the ball is going to land!'_

_'Game: Kurosu. 4 games to 2! Change court!'_

Walking to the other end of the court, Hina couldn't help but run the data she has gathered so far. _'She is clearly right-handed. Favors forehand than backhand, and puts a lot of topspin to her shots. Height: 163 cm, 39 kg. I know her strengths but why can't I do anything about them?!' _

At her service game, Hina used a serve and volley play style, forcing the other girl to play either at the net or at the baseline.

'_Right!_' she quickly dashed into her right corner, smashing the ball and watching as it went out of the court after bouncing violently. Amika wasn't able to reach it in time.

_'30-love!'_

_'I can win this! I can already see the pattern in her shots!'_

Meanwhile, Amika blinked her eyes at the side line where the ball landed earlier. Hina-sempai has started to read her shots, returning them at the farthest point from her._ 'Choharu was right. She can read my patterns.'_ She let a small smile pass her lips. _'She's really good!'_

The two rallied on, Hina keeping her opponent glued to the baseline, making her net play even more effective. Hitting a net ball, Hina watched as the ball slowly fall to the ground. A dull thud accentuated her point.

_'Game: Fumiko. 3 games to 4!' _

* * *

At the end of both games, Hina and Sakuno found themselves at the water fountain. Both are panting, their foreheads wet from sweat, dirt clinging to their forms.

"How" _deep breath_ "was your" _another deep breath_ "your game" _pant_ "Fumiko-sempai?" Sakuno asked the older girl in between deep breathes.

"It was...tiring...Ryuzaki-san." Hina answered in an equally tired voice.

Sakuno smiled at her. "I can't believe Choharu-san is a freshman like me. Her skills are in a different level!"

"They've been playing at the tournaments since their freshman years in junior high, Ryuzaki-san. They have more experience in playing than I do."

"Uhn. I've never been this tired before."

Hina studied the girl beside her. Ryuzaki Sakuno is not the athletic type, if you would simply look at her physically. She is almost thin, her arms are long and skinny, dangling on her sides. They seem to belong to a taller girl, and her legs looked the same. Her body looks frail, weak if you will. She is timid, much like Hina herself. She is neither fast nor strong, and the last time Hina watched her play, her shots are average.

But she has good eyes, can easily read and follow the path of any ball. Her body seemed to move faster than her mind can comprehend. She is one of the few players Hina knew have that certain innate ability. No wonder their captain selected her as one of the regulars, and spent a whole week personally training the young girl.

"The tournaments are coming, that's why Buchou wanted us to train harder." she said quietly.

Sakuno nodded. "Hai. I wonder who would play for the district tournaments."

"Ah...I wonder about that too." Hina mumbled shyly. "Well, it doesn't matter to me if I wouldn't be at the line-up! The other players are just too good!"

Sakuno let a soft laugh escape her, growing comfortable around the shy junior. "Uhn! Me too! Watching them is enough for me!"

The two new players shared a grin with each other.

Together, they walked back to their courts, only to be utterly surprised when their captain announced her chosen line-up for the district tournament.

"EH?!" Sakuno exclaimed with wide eyes. "I-I'm going t-to p-play?!"

Hina is standing rigidly at her side, her mouth slightly open, her gray eyes wider than Sakuno's.

Kisana chuckled. "Hai, Ryuzaki-chan. You will be playing with Amika, and Hina-chan you'll be playing with Choharu. Any questions?"

"Demo-!why me? I mean-!"

Kisana tilted her head to look at the flustered freshman. "Why not?"

Sakuno clamped her lips together as she felt her face grow warmer. "W-what if I f-failed?! I am not as good as Choharu-san!"

"Geez. Don't be too nervous Sakuno-chan! It'll be okay!" Rin tried to calm the girl down.

"Demo-"

"If you don't want to, just say the words. Do not give me those alibis Ryuzaki."

Sakuno gulped at the cold tone their captain has used. She remembered hearing the same tone on the course of their private training. It always leave her with an unpleasant feeling.

"Gomen Buchou." she mumbled as she hung her head down, her eyes staring at her shoes.

"Do you have the same concerns Fumiko?"

The junior yelped at the question. "Uh...Iie, Buchou! I have no objections!"

"Good, because even if you object, my decision is final. Now," her voice changed, "our morning training is over. Change and prepare for your classes."

"Hai!"

As the other girls moved past her, Sakuno felt a tap on her shoulder. Raising her head, she was surprised to see Amika smiling at her, her clear-brown eyes warm.

"Don't worry too much ne, Ryuzaki-chan. I'm sure you'll do great!" with that said, the girl run towards the door of the clubroom where her twin was waiting.

Sakuno watched as the two walked out of the clubroom side by side. Sighing, she picked up her bag and started walking out of the room.

At the classroom, she found herself staring blankly at her book. None of what the teacher is saying is making any sense to her. All she can think of was her captain's announcement.

She joined the team not expecting to be chosen as a regular. She loved playing tennis, even going as far as playing with her sempai-tachi. But she never thought she'd be a regular for the team. And now, she'll be playing at the tournament. This isn't something she has given any thoughts of before.

Even now, weeks before the said tournament, she is already feeling too nervous. She can only hope she'll be able to remember everything on the day of the tournament.

Ryoma knows he was supposed to be reading his textbook. But his eyes are betraying him by unconsciously staring at the brunette on his right.

Ever since her private training with her captain, Ryuzaki has been more energetic and focused. Despite the fact that the girl has never been without more than a few band-aids in her face, and bruises on her arms and legs (not that he was staring!), she was always the same cheerful, awkward girl he has known (he frowned at this thought).

But this morning, the girl didn't even bother to greet him when she sat down at her desk (he only noticed this because she always does that, without fail, from the very first day he returned). His curiosity grew worse when the girl didn't even bat an eyelash when their teacher asked her to translate a sentence to English. The girl simply said 'Gomen, sensei' before sitting down and hanging her head down. The whole class, their teacher and Ryoma included, stared at the girl for more than a few seconds before going back to their lesson.

_'Che. Why am I worrying about her anyways?!'_ he angrily thought to himself as he stabbed his pen at a page of his notebook. _'Darn it! That was my math homework!'_

Ryuzaki should just go back to her awkward, stuttering self, so Ryoma can go back to his usual, uncaring self.

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

At the Class 2-2 homeroom, Sairi is watching with twitching eyebrows as her two female classmates and teammates fret and fiddle in front of her. They are currently enjoying a free-period, as their teacher has just given them a 50-item test during their last meeting. Most of her classmates are talking in low tones, careful not to disturb the classes around them.

As to her, she is sitting in between two nervous wreck females. She started a mental countdown.

"I've never played a singles game before! I mean officially that is! What if I lose?! I will not be able to face Buchou and Mitsu-nii!" Rin flailed her arms around her as she slumped down on her seat.

_"There's a 72.01% probability that I will make a fool of myself, 56.00% that I will hinder Choharu-san's game, 140% that I will not be able to play properly, hence leading to..."_

Sairi decided not to listen to Hina mumble about her chances of failing. Seriously?!

"Okay, you two. I get it okay? You're nervous. But get over it morons!" She said in a semi-controlled hiss, her eyes widening at the two, "We still have a few weeks before the tournament, so we have a lot of time to train for it! So shut your trap and let me concentrate on my homework dammit!"

_"...45.33% chance that our opponent are seasoned doubles player..."_

"But Sairi-chan-!" Rin whined, her green eyes near to tears. "I can't possibly play singles! I've always played doubles!"

_"...therefore, there is 90.12% probability that... "_

"Ugh! That's why Buchou will train you stupid!"

"Demo-!"

_"...and the probability of me failing to return any of these serves is..."_

Sairi felt like slamming her head at the desk in front of her. "Can someone _please_ shut them up?!"

"Oi Akayama! Want me to do it?!"

She glared at one of their male classmates. "I _will_ kill you if you don't shut your trap."

The male visibly shrunk as he averted his eyes at the fuming female.

Sairi returned to glaring at the two beside her. How she wished the bell would just ring already so she can escape this hell.

"Yo!"

"Fshhhh."

Recognizing the voices, she twisted her neck and stared at the two junior male regulars. Momoshiro is wearing a shit-eating grin, while Kaidoh Kaoru is just staring at her blankly with his green eyes.

They are classmates, but their seats are quite far from each other, thus they cannot really talk to each other that often

Raising an eyebrow at both, Sairi then asked. "What do you want Peach, Snake?"

The two's temper immediately raised at the question. Sairi smirked. It was way too easy to anger these two, so unlike their sempais and that cocky freshman.

"You're so damn rude Akayama!"

"Fsshhhh."

"So? I was born like this. If you have a problem with it, take it to my parents."

The dunk specialist sighed in annoyance. Instead of answering her, his eyes landed at the two distressed females. "Eh? What's wrong with you two?"

Rin immediately lodged herself to his arm. "Uwaaahhhh! I am not ready to play singles yet! What am I going to do?!"

"Eh?"

"Play...singles?" Kaidoh whispered.

"Buchou has already decided on our line-up for the district tournaments. Hakeyama is supposed to be our Singles 3 player." Sairi explained in a bland tone. "Fumiko-san will be playing doubles with Choharu-chan. I think she is currently in a shock."

_"...so taking all available variables and data, there is a 70.59% probability that..."_

The two males sweat dropped as Hina continued on her data monologue. "Err..."

"She's been at it for more than an hour already. I seriously don't know what the hell she's mumbling about."

Momo nodded. "She certainly sounds like Inui-sempai." Kaidoh nodded eagerly beside him.

"How about you Hakeyama-san? You play doubles with Rin-chan right?"

Sairi gave Momo a blank look. "I was supposed to play Singles 2. I seriously don't know what the hell is going on in Buchou's mind."

Momo smirked. "What? Scared you'll lose?"

"In your dreams peach."

"Oi!"

"Urusei baka!"

"What did you say mamushi?!"

"Baka-Momo!"

"You wanna go Mamushi?!"

And before she knew it, the two joined Rin and Hina in providing Sairi ammunition for a massive headache.

"Ugh!" Sairi slammed her head down at her desk.

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

At the senior's classroom, at Class 3-1 specifically, Inui scribbled furiously at his notebook. The events unfolding before him has a once in a lifetime chance of happening. He wasn't about to let this opportunity goes by!

Tezuka sighed dejectedly beside Miyuki, who was trying her best not to turn into a human puddle in her seat.

"Fuji-kun seems really taken by her huh." Miyuki chuckled amusedly at the scene in front of them.

"Hn." She couldn't figure out if that was a 'yes' or a 'no'. Typical Tezuka Kunimitsu response. How she longed for the day when he would talk to her in a normal manner.

Keeping her eyes at her captain, she was surprised to see a faint blush tinting the other girl's fair cheeks. "And she seems taken by him as well."

"Chance of them being a couple by the end of this term, 98.12%" Inui announced behind them. "Ii data."

Miyuki laughed softly at her best friend's boyfriend's antics.

Kisana sighed once again, finding it hard to suppress the blush that is threatening to creep out of her cheeks. She can feel the skin of her neck prickling.

"Fuji-kun, please stop. You're embarrassing me." She asked in a pleading voice. The blue-eyed male just chuckled softly as he tugged on a ribbon behind her ear, his fingers brushing her cheek intentionally.

"Saa...Kisana-chan, when are you going to call me by my name?"

"When you stop teasing me, Fuji-kun."

"But I have never teased you Kisana-chan!" Fuji replied in a surprised voice, "I have always been honest to you."

The girl just sighed in an exasperated manner, her cheeks tinted with pink hue, her eyes darting anywhere except at him. Fuji couldn't help but chuckle at the sight in front of him. "Saa...you wouldn't even look at me Kisana-chan. Am I too hideous for you to look at?" he asked in the most pitiable voice he can muster.

Closing her eyes, Kisana willed herself not to reach out and comfort the obviously acting male. A smile broke out of her lips as she stared at the cute pout he is giving her. "Fuji-kun, if you are hideous, I wouldn't know what word there is to describe me."

"Beautiful?" he supplied innocently.

Her soft laughter rung around the room, prompting their other classmates to stop and stare at the pair.

_'So beautiful...'_ Fuji couldn't help but think as he looked at the laughing girl. "Saa...Kisana-chan, you should laugh more often. It suits you."

Shaking her head, Kisana smiled an apology to some of their classmates. "Flattery won't get you nowhere Fuji-kun."

"But honesty will." Fuji quipped back quickly.

"You're impossible."

"I've been called a Tensai, but if you insist, then you may call me Mr. Impossible." Fuji willingly offered.

She couldn't stop the grin that overtook her face. "Do I have to wait for the catchphrase now?"

"I am still thinking about it. Would you mind listening to it over chocolate this weekend?" Fuji asked with a tilt of his head, his sharp blue eyes staring at her.

Kisana's grin faltered. Fuji Syusuke has a peculiar way of mixing his attempts at asking her out in their normal daily conversations. And he always manages to catch her somewhat off guard.

"Saa...I made you feel awkward again huh?" he smiled at her softly, his eyes once again hidden behind his lids. "Forget about what I just said Kisana-chan."

"Fuji-kun..." she murmured, "it's not that...I just..." she breathed deeply, before smiling at him, "I already made plans for this weekend, that's why I couldn't..."

Fuji ignored the stab of pain in his chest. "Saa...is that so? So someone asked you first huh?" he chuckled to himself.

Kisana shook her head."I promised to train Rin-chan this Saturday, and I will be playing with Hina-chan and Ryuzaki-chan on Sunday. So I can not possibly go out with you this weekend, Fuji-kun." she mumbled lowly, just enough for him to hear.

A warmth suddenly made its way to his chest, making his heart beat a little bit faster. A smile slowly forming on his lips, as his eyes once again appeared behind his perpetually closed lids. "Saa...is that so, Kisana-chan?"

She nodded, glad that his eyes are once again smiling. "Hai."

His smile widened when his mind recalled a part of her explanation. "Saa..you said you can not possibly go out with me_ this weekend_...meaning you have nothing against going out with me in _any other time_, ne, Kisana-chan."

He relishes at the sight of her widening eyes, parting lips and reddening cheeks as the realization of her words dawn on her. She visibly gulped down, and her eyes once again left his, she averted them somewhere on the floor.

"I...uh...Fuji-kun..." she stammered nervously.

"You're so cute when you're flustered, Kisana-chan. Saa...don't be too nervous ne? I won't bite on our date, I promise." he couldn't help but continue teasing her.

"Fuji-kun...! Stop teasing me already..."

He only laughed openly at her, prompting the girl to drop her head at her arms that were laid at the top of her desk, her hair scattered elegantly around her.

When their teacher arrived, Kisana watched as Fuji walked back to his seat, only two spaces away from her. He has been asking her out since the second term of their freshman year, but she never really took his invitations seriously. She always thought he's just teasing her. He did loves teasing other people to embarrassment. Even his team mates aren't exempted from them.

After all, how could she possibly take his invitations in any other way? He is _Fuji Syusuke_, the _Tensai_, handsome and intelligent, humble and caring. His name is known not only in their school, but in every single high school that knows the word 'tennis'. He is reportedly being scouted by numerous advertising companies to be their model. He is the epitome of perfection.

And it boggles her mind to think that he really is in love with her, as his team mates so loosely informed the whole Seishun High population on their first year. She remembered that right after Eiji Kikumaru shouted at their tennis courts about the Tensai allegedly being in-love with her, he started asking her out on weekends, even going as far as watching all of their tennis matches. He would always ask to play a game with her, and befriending her younger sisters.

She chalked all of his actions up to him going with the flow that his team mate have set.

And so, instead of dying out embarrassment and heartache every time he teases her, she would smile and blush and stutter, and go along with it as best as she can.

That's why even though she so wanted to say 'yes' for a thousandth time it seemed, the thought of him only doing it in the name of teasing her stops her every time.

"Kisana-chan, let's go out next weekend ne?"

She just smiled didn't say a word.

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

With the announcement of the upcoming district tournaments, things became even more livelier around the Seishun tennis courts. The members became more enthusiastic, eager to train and talk about the matches. Even their spectators increased dramatically in size and number.

There is an excited atmosphere hanging around the courts, and it seemed to affect the regular players the most.

_"Ha! Take **that **Mamushi!"_

_"Urusei baka-peach!"_

_"Nyah! I can hit a volley while in the air Inui-chan!"_

_"The probability of Eiji getting hurt before the tournaments is...34.10%"_

_"Mada mada dane, Fuji-sempai."_

_"Saa...I cannot just let you get my Singles 2 spot that easily, Echizen."_

_"Minna! Please don't be too careless! We can't afford to have injuries-Eiji! Don't do that! What if you break your wrist?! Kaidoh! Don't overdo your Snake!"_

Tezuka sighed for the umpteenth time today. This rowdy group of teenage boys he calls his team is seriously giving him a massive headache. Granted, they are all excited for the tournament, but they can at least show their enthusiasm in any other way, except annihilating each other at the courts, that is.

He does need them alive for the tournament.

He heard a chuckle behind him.

"Sensei."

Ryuzaki Sumire smiled at the annoyed look on the young male's face. "Are? It seems you're team has finally succeeded in testing your limits, Tezuka."

"Hn. I don't know what you are talking about sensei."

Sumire just laughed as she shook her head at him. "By the way, have you decided on your initial line-up?"

"Hai. I am thinking of sitting this one out. Let Fuji play Singles 1, Inui in Singles 2 and Echizen in Singles 3."

"I see. The Golden Pair and the junior pair then?"

"Hai. Only if it is acceptable for you sensei."

She waved her hand at his concern. "I have no objections. I for one wanted to see Echizen in action after two years." She chuckled. "He has adjusted rather easily no?"

"Hn."

The two of them watched as the players continued their game, with Osihi making sure they don't do anything too drastic. Looking back at two years ago, Tezuka wouldn't have thought that he would lead the team once more. He was almost certain that he will never set foot at Seishun after leaving the invitational camp, but, as fate would have it, after only a few weeks in Germany, he and his family went back to Japan.

He has never been more grateful for what happened then. _'Of course, or else you wouldn't have met her.'_

He frowned at the sudden thought. _'Stop this nonsense at once!' _A girl has nothing to do with it.

"By the way," his coach's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "what do you think of our female team?"

He blinked twice. "Hn?"

"What do you think of their line-up? They have nine players, like you guys had back in junior high."

He cleared his throat. "Ah. They have some good players. But I am not convinced about some of them."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Ah. I have never seen them play at their best, so I will reserve my opinions of them for now."

"Ah. But I must admit, Kisana Kurosu is a formidable player. She can easily be the number one female player in the high school circuit. And Takami-chan and Kanama-chan are good as well."

"Hn." Tezuka gave a non-committal nod of his head.

"And that freshman pair are good, they are named the best doubles pair in their junior high after all."

At his coach's words, his mind drifted to the golden-haired girl with smiling brown eyes. She is _good_, he knows that first-hand, having played a couple of games with the girl. But he couldn't help but feel that there is something missing in her game.

"The school has high hopes for both teams this year. What do you say Tezuka? Do you think we can achieve a double-championship this year?"

A double championship is a feat that all high school has dreamt of. There has never been a single high school who has won both the male and female trophy for the same sport at the same year. It will bring them the highest of honors if they do manage to achieve that. But even so...

"It is a highly ambitious goal, sensei. But we will do what we must."

Sumire smiled at his answer. "Ah. Good enough for me."

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

"Whahhhh!" Rin wailed as she dropped down beside her cousin at the bus. On her left is Shu-kun, while behind them is Eiji-sempai, Momo-chan and Echizen. "I am so tired! Buchou is killing us with her training!"

Oishi chuckled as she put her head at the crook of his neck. "Rin-chan, she's just preparing you for the tournament."

"Yeah! I'm sure you'll do even better with the training!" Momo agreed loudly.

They are on their way to buy some tennis equipments. Her cousin is in need of his favorite grip tape, same with the other males. As for her,she wanted to buy new wrist bands as her current ones are all dirty and kinda smells. And since it's Friday and she has two days to worry about her home works, she decided to tag along with them. It has been a long time since she went anywhere with her cousin and Shu-kun anyway.

"But still!" she huffed indignantly. "Can you believe she played with me using her left hand?! Her left hand! I felt like dying during our game!"

"Nyah! I always wanted to see Kisana-san use her left hand!"

"Is she really good?" Echizen mumbled.

"She is! I tell you!"

Tezuka sighed. He shouldn't have agreed to this. "How's your team doing Rin?"

Rin shot him a grin. "We're doing great! Choharu-chan and Hina-chan are playing against Amika-chan and Ryuzaki-chan! It was soooo good! It's always a treat to see them play! And then, Buchou would alternately play with me and Sairi, and then she would have us play against fukubuchou, and then, she will have us play against Resha-sempai, and then, finally, she has Sairi and I play a game with each other!"

Tezuka and the others stared at her.

"..."

"...hn."

"...wha...?"

"...un..yah?.."

Echizen just stared at her as if she has grown a pair of horns in her head.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?!"

"You played four games this afternoon?" Oishi's voice croaked.

Rin nodded eagerly. "Yeah! That's why I tell you I am really tired!"

Tezuka made a mental note to talk to the female captain. Oh wait...they are supposedly not talking to each other. Great. _Now_ he has to be the one to break their silent war.

"You have once crazy captain, Rin-chan." Momo murmured. Eiji and Echizen agreed readily.

"But Buchou is really good you know." Rin smiled, "I mean, she is a little bit sadistic-"(that's _more_ than a little-Momo murmured)-"but she knows what we needed to improve and she does her best to help us. She even set up a weekend practice with us. And I know she's tired from this week's training as well."

"You still have a training this weekend?!" Oishi asked in loud voice, his eyes wide as he stared at the girl.

"Yeah!" Rin grinned. "How about you guys? Do you also have a weekend practice?"

"Iie." Oishi answered with a smile. "Tezuka thought that we should take a rest on weekends so we can focus on our studies."

"Oh. I see."

"We're here." Tezuka announced as the bus stopped.

They made their way towards the store. The establishment is a little bit crowded, students in different high school uniforms are lining up and making their purchases.

"It seems we got here on a busy hour." Oishi commented.

"Let's be quick so we can get out of here." Tezuka suggested. Nodding their heads, they all made their way to where the grip tapes were.

"Unyah! I like this one!"

"Hey! I got to it first sempai!"

"Guys don't be too rowdy please!"

"Tch. Mada mada dane sempai."

"Uwaahhh! I like that one as well!"

Tezuka sighed as he watched his team and cousin battle for the same grip tape, Oishi fussing and trying to settle them down. Deciding to just leave them there, he went to the cashier and made his purchase.

"That'll be 1,245 yen."

Giving the exact amount, he waited until the cashier was able to pack his purchase.

"Hn. Arigatou."

Seeing that the others are still fighting over the grip tape, he made his way out of the store. He felt uncomfortable with the looks that the other buyers are giving him, especially the female ones. Does he has something on his face? Or maybe there is dirt on his uniform?

He is not a vain person, so he didn't feel the need to check his appearance. He stood in front of the store, hands on his pockets as he stared idly at the street in front of him. People are rushing by, crossing the pedestrian and hastily moving along with the crowd. It is now thirty-five minutes past five o'clock, rush hour is settling in. He just hoped they wouldn't be in the middle of it when they go home.

The sound of chimes from an opening door caught his attention. Turning his head, his eyes went to the person going out of the establishment next to where he is standing.

She has her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head, instead of her Seishun uniform, she is now wearing a ripped jeans and a pink t-shirt, with a white cardigan over it. In her ears are a pair of earphones, her hands carrying bags from the shop that she has just visited.

He felt his throat clogged up upon seeing her, so he just waited for her to raise her head and see him.

"Oh! Tezuka-kun!" she smiled at him, "I didn't expect to see you here at all!"

He nodded at her, noticing the way the afternoon lights hit on her golden-brown hair. "Hn. Amika-san, what are you doing out late, and alone?"

She blinked at him, while tilting her head at the building behind her. "Well, I was supposed to have a dance lesson today, but the building is undergoing a minor renovation." She smiled. "So I decided to just buy some books and magazines for me to read this weekend. How about you Tezuka-kun? Are you here alone?"

"Hn."

"Oh. Are you with your team? Where are they?"

"Inside. They cannot decide on who's going to take the last of their favorite grip tape."

"Oh...I see." she nodded her head repeatedly, an amused look in her face. "I can hear Rin-sempai."

"Ah."

A silence grew between them, and Amika took the chance to look at the male before her.

His hair is in its usual tousled form, his bangs tickling his forehead, falling softly over the top rim of his glasses. His eyes are staring straight into hers, their lemon-brown and honey hues emphasized by the light behind him. His Seishun tennis jersey hung off of is shoulders authoritatively, his stance is confident and strong, as if he is facing a strong opponent at the other side of the net.

He has never looked more powerful and handsome as he is right now, and her heart couldn't have been beating any faster.

The loud crash of a door startled the both of them, and Amika turned to see Eiji and Momo lying face down at the entrance of the door.

"Eh?"

"Ahhh! What are you two doing?!" Oishi came flailing his arms as he helped Eiji off of Momoshiro's back.

Rin was beside herself giggling at the two, while Echizen is smirking at his sempais.

"Mada mada dane, Eiji-sempai, Momo-sempai."

"Whahahaha! You two are so funny! Ohhh...I hope I have a camera with me! Oh wait, let me get my cellphone!" Rin then opened her bag and rummaged inside it.

"NO!" Momo shouted as he jumped up from the ground. "Don't you dare!"

Rin only grinned at him. "Hehe..." Still grinning, she turned to talk to Tezuka, but stopped upon seeing the other girl. "AMIKA-CHAAAAAAAAN!"

Launching herself towards the girl, the rest just watched as the hyper-brown haired girl hugged Amika, who was just laughing at the other girl's antics.

"What are you doing here? Are you alone? Where is your twin?!"

"Choharu is at home, and I was supposed to have my dance lesson, but now I am going home." Amika answered.

The gentle fukubuchou smiled at the girl. "Ah...But you shouldn't go alone, Amika-san. You can come with us if you want."

"Nyah! Let's take the bus together Amika-san!"

Momo nodded eagerly beside Echizen, who was just eyeing the girl silently.

Laughing nervously, Amika waved her hand. "Ah...No, it's okay! Please don't bother! I can go home on my own!"

"But Amika-chaaaaan! It's dangerous for you to go home alone! Besides," Rin grinned, "we can talk about our awesome training while on the ride!"

"Hey! I wanna ask something too!"

"Me too nyah!"

"Uh.."

"Are you going somewhere after this?"

Amika stared at Tezuka. "Uh...no." she mumbled.

"Hn. Let's go then." Nodding to his team mates, Tezuka turned on his heel. "It is not safe for you to go home alone, and we're going the same way."

"Ah...okay."

Rin squealed as she tugged on Amika's arm. "Ne, Amika-chan, what did you buy? And since I will be training in your house tomorrow, can you tell Buchou to bake that awesome cake again?! And also..."

"Nyah, Amika-san, can we play a game sometime? You know, just a simple rally!"

"Yeah! I'd like to play a game with you and your sisters too!"

"Guys, please don't shout at Amika-san too much. Amika-san, gomen."

"Iie..it's okay, Oishi-sempai."

"Tch. Momo-sempai, Eiji-sempai, you two are really loud."

"Shut-up ochibi!"

"Sempai! It hurts!"

"Whaaaahh! I can't wait to train tomorrow!"

Amika simply laughed at the loud sempais around her. She was a little disappointed upon knowing that she will not be able to practice her routine today, although she has a lot of time to do it at home. Deciding to buy some reading materials before going back home, she didn't notice the time pass by as she browsed at the numerous newly published materials at the shelves. Before she knew it, she has stayed for almost an hour at the said book shop.

But now, she felt glad that she did. And as she sat between Rin and Tezuka at the bus, Momo-sempai and Eiji-sempai behind them and asking her questions, she couldn't help but be aware of his warmth. His arm is touching hers, and even through the material of her cardigan and his uniform, he can feel the strength of his muscles, from his shoulders to his elbows. She can hear the strong, rhythmic beating of her heart, its sound well above the combined voices of the three who were talking to her. And even though she does her best to answer them, she all too well aware of him.

She wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now.

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

A slim hand snatched the ringing phone from its cradle.

"Hello?"

For a moment, she listened to the person speaking at the other line, nodding once at times.

"I see." She paused. "So what should we do now?"

She clutched the phone tighter while keeping a calm facade. "Right. I understand. Monday morning then?"

She listened. Nod. "Ah. Arigatou for informing me."

Putting down the phone, she heaved a deep breath as she let a frown mar her calm face.

"What was that Kisana?"

She turned to see Choharu wearing a dark-blue apron, a spatula in her right hand, and a recipe book on her left.

"Ah. Just a bump in the road, nothing to worry about."

Choharu stared at her blankly. "Right. It's about the 'coach' thing, am I wrong?"

"You're never wrong, Cho."

The younger girl nodded. "I see. So..."

"So nothing." Kisana smiled at her sister. "We'll discuss about it this coming Monday."

"Hmmm."

"So what are you making?" she asked, hoping to divert the attention of her sister to something else, "You are not trying to duplicate your soursop-blueberry-cheesecake, right?" she asked in a hesitant voice.

Choharu chuckled. "Don't be such a negative critic, Kisana. I will have you know that I adjusted the ingredients so as to make sure that it has the highest probability of success this time."

Kisana sighed. "And who's going to 'test' it, might I ask?"

A manic grin was her answer. "You know who. It will be ready just in time for tomorrow's training."

The captain just shook her head as she followed her sister to their kitchen. "Please don't kill Rin-chan, Cho. Although we reserve players, I wouldn't know how am I going to explain to people why she died after eating your home-made cake."

Choharu snorted. "You sounded like you don't trust me at all, Kisana."

"I do trust you Cho. It's your culinary abilities that I don't."

When she didn't hear a reply, Kisana just let her eyes look at their kitchen, well-what was _supposed_ to be their kitchen. The place now resembled a fruits-butchery shop, if ever there is one.

"Kami-sama, please have mercy on Rin's soul."

She just really hopes Rin will survive the cake of doom and make it to the tournaments.

* * *

**Now, that's a _fast_ update! (grins)**

**It helps when I don't have such a bitch of workload, I have a lot of time in my hands to proofread my chapters and post them.**

**By the way, do you guys think that the characters (female) are Mary-Sue-ish?**

**Well, maybe only at first. I promise you guys that these girls are far from perfect.**

**Do read and review people! I would feel so much better if I have an inkling to what you guys are thinking about this story.**

**Ja na minna! I'll probably update after a week or so.**

**XDXYUNAXDX**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: No...not yet. I still do not own PoT (bummer).**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Curve**

* * *

A week before the district tournaments, Kisana found herself at the Director's Office once again. This is the 4th time since the start of the current term. An unprecedented occurrence indeed. Although this time, she is not alone.

She let her eyes rest at the two other people (aside from the Director) who are with her. Ryuzaki Sumire is talking with the Director in polite tones, while Tezuka Kunimitsu is sitting rigidly beside her. She noticed that his eyes are staring directly at her, but not really looking. It's as if she is merely a part of the background, or rather, he wanted her to be part of the background. Typical Tezuka Kunimitsu.

But really, she cannot blame him. After two years of being at the same class and being paired against each other in all of their class activities, being rivals for the top spot of the academic rankings and just simply having clashing ideals and opinions in anything and everything they could think of, she felt like the guy has enough reason to not like her-at all.

Not that she minded, but still.

"So, what do you say Kurosu-san?" Director Takada's voice cut through er thoughts.

Turning to face him, she let a small smile grace her lips, her hands clasped loosely in her lap.

"Ryuzaki-sensei has agreed to be the team's coach. Do you have any objections?"

"Can I object?" she asked in a small voice. The two chuckled, while her fellow captain remained silent.

"Not really Kurosu-san." Takada-sensei answered smoothly. "Every team needs to have a coach. It is a basic requirement."

"Of course." She agreed, nodding her head as she switched her gaze to the female teacher. "I hope this wouldn't be too much of a trouble for you, Ryuzaki-sensei."

The female coach smiled cheerily at her. "Ah...I assure you it is not trouble at all! As far as I have seen, you have a very-well behaved team and members."

"You flatter us too much, sensei."

"Maa..Maa... I am telling the truth. I do believe that you and your team don't need a coach at all."

She hummed, nodding her head ever so slowly. "Ah...that is not true at all. Every team needs someone to guide them. I am indebted to you." She rose and bowed her head slightly in front of the other female, dark hair falling forward as she does. Straightening her back, she turned once more to Takada-sensei. "By the way,may I ask of your decision about my proposition, Takada-sensei?"

"Ah..about your uniform, eh?"

She nodded, smiling.

"Gomen, Kurosu-san. But the board decided that the current uniform does not represent Seishun well. We suggest that the female team wear the standard tennis gear that the school issued."

Silence followed the statement.

The whirring sound from the installed air-conditioning unit was heard over the stretch of the silence. The temperature took a dip, as the atmosphere tensed around them.

Takada-sensei cleared his throat, Ryuzaki-sensei chuckled lowly as Tezuka shifted ever so subtly in his chair.

"I see. I didn't know that they feel like that. I was so sure we did well.." She said, her lips frozen in a smile so tight it looked as if her face is carved from marble. "My apologies then."

Takada-sensei coughed awkwardly as he waved his hand, wanting to dismiss the young girl's words and at the same time, appease his nerves. "Ah...that is not what I...we mean. We just thought that by wearing the same uniform as before will let people know that the team Seishun High is indeed revived. We are hoping that your team will uphold this tradition."

She raised an eyebrow. "Uphold _what_ tradition, Takada-sensei?"

"Uh..."

"Kurosu-san, you are way below your league." Tezuka's hard, steely voice was finally heard. "You must obey what the school board has decided."

She smiled at him, her eyes narrowed. "And am I contradicting it, Tezuka-san? In the contrary, I am apologizing for doing such a poor job of representing this school." Letting her hands fall on her side, she addressed the two seniors. "I must leave now, Takada-sensei, Ryuzaki-sensei. Thank you for the time." She bowed before turning around and walking towards the door. Closing the door behind her, she let out an angry sigh as her eyes gazed at the wall opposite her. Her feet started moving as she relaxed her tightly clenched fists.

Her steps echoed at the empty hallway, the sound is hollow, and it mocks her ears.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Ryzaki Sumire massaged her temples and lets out a tired sigh, prompting the male tennis captain beside her to spare her a questioning look.

"Is something the matter, sensei?"

"Ah...it is nothing, Tezuka. I am just thinking about Kurosu-san"

A raised eyebrow. "What about her?"

The female coach fell silent. She has known Kisana Kurosu for two years now. The first time she met the girl was when she found her practicing her swings at the vacant tennis courts a bit of a distance from their own. It was the year following the suspension of their female tennis team. The club was still there, but its only members are girls who couldn't find any other club to enlist for, and are hoping to somewhat get closer to the more popular male tennis club members. She was swinging the racket in her hand, littered around her was about twenty tennis balls, all battered and covered in dust.

Sumire was amused at first. Who wouldn't be? The girl looks like she belonged to middle school. Thin arms, thin legs, long hair in ribbons fluttering around her small, equally thin face. Her dark-eyes looked so much bigger than normal, her mouth a little wide. She looked so much out of place in her uniform, which was slightly bigger than her frame.

But Sumire couldn't take her eyes off of the small girl. Years of scouting, playing, and training tennis had her eyes recognize potential when she sees one, and by all Gods the girl has an abundance of it. It was the first time she was left intrigued and excited upon seeing a girl. The last time she had the same exhilarating feeling was when she watched Echizen Ryoma thrash a loud-mouth, tennis-bragging boy three years ago.

She approached her, and was surprised to know that the girl is actually a freshman in Seishun High, and she wanted to play tennis. Sumire remembered telling her about the suspension, to which the girl just answered with a smile and the short, direct words-

_"I know. But I am going to revive it. Two years is all I need." _The conviction behind the words isn't faked. It sounded more of like a prophecy, and Sumire all but nodded at the naivety of the young girl.

Two weeks passed, and then Sumire heard about a freshman girl recruiting girls to the tennis club after securing permission from the board to join private charity events.

Two months after that, the team took home its first trophy.

After that, students and teachers alike spoke of the name Kisana Kurosu in a whispered awe.

And now, two years after, she did revive the team. But it seemed the girl isn't contented yet. She is aiming for something bigger, grander, and Sumire Ryuzaki couldn't help but be excited at the thought.

"Sensei."

Startled by the voice, she composed herself and cleared her throat. "It seemed she isn't too happy with what the Director said."

"We must respect and obey their decision."

"Ah. Anyway, gather the regulars this afternoon. We are visiting her team to make the announcement."

"Ah."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Amika nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, as she flickered worried brown eyes towards her older sister.

They are currently outside, under a big Sakura tree and are having their lunch (which she helped Kisana prepare. Choharu is still banned from stepping into their kitchen after what happened to Rin-sempai weeks ago).

Choharu is eating in silence, but every once in a while (which was actually too often), she would dart her eyes at the other silent girl, and then to Amika, back to her food to take a bite, and do the same cycle again. It is getting too tiring to watch. As for her...

"Kisa-Kisa, don't you like the food? You haven't taken a bite yet." She asked in a gentle voice.

"Hmm. I am simply not hungry, Amika. Don't mind me."

"Demo-you haven't eaten breakfast! How can you not be hungry?!" she protested, her voice rising slightly.

Kisana didn't give her a reply. Sighing dejectedly, Amika slumped and took a bite of her own lunch. It worries her, Kisana's sudden mood changes. It usually happens when the girl is emotionally stressed or physically exhausted. She is not sure about Kisana being emotionally stressed, as it happens too rarely to even take note of. About being physically exhausted though...

The coming of the district tournaments had their team training harder than usual. What with the odd line-up that Kisana has thought of, the younger regulars of the team had been pushing their tennis skills to the limits. And as the captain, Kisana is the one who plays with them relentlessly. Even Sairi-sempai, who is the most diligent out of all of them, had asked sheepishly for a break from the harsh training.

Of course, Kisana has not relented.

She sighed. Thinking about what upsets Kisana is giving her a head ache, as it always does. If only her sister is easier to read...

A poke to her side stopped her musings. Turning with questions in her eyes, she stared at Choharu and was rewarded with a flick in her forehead.

"_Ohhh.._! Cho! What did you do that for?!" she asked while rubbing the spot where her twin sister has poked.

Snorting, Choharu went back to her food. "Stop making faces while eating. It's too disturbing to watch."

Amika stared at her, wondering what is going on her twin sister's mind.

"Let Kisana deal with whatever it is that is bugging her. She'll deal with it her own way, she'll ask for our help when she needs it." She then bit onto a piece of tempura and proceeded on reading from her notebook.

Amika has to smile at that. Choharu has her own way of dealing with Kisana, she remembered. While she, Amika, would worry and fret, Choharu would calmly wait around and let their older sister sort things on her own. That alone highlights the huge difference between the two of them.

"Ah. I understand."

"By the way, I noticed that Ryuzaki-san's first serve percentage has improved by 34.09%. And her..."

Shaking her head, Amika let Choharu's voice wash away her worries. That's right. They have a training and a tournament to worry about. Worrying about what is worrying Kisana will not help her in any way. After all, Kisana does have a lot of things to worry about. That being said, it would be her responsibility to make sure that her upcoming matches will not add up to those.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Afternoon practice is no joke; that Sairi knew as much. Running 25 laps around the courts (and sometimes around the campus), doing 500 swings, stretching and _then _playing a practice match. To think that each set will more or less take half an hour or so. And if you're playing someone like Miyuki-sempai, who likes dragging out matches, an hour or two of playing is an average. It's a wonder they were still alive, even if they have just been doing the routine for a couple of weeks.

Of course, you're lucky if you're playing with Resha-fukubuchou, who is really, _really _fast. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Scratch that: playing with her is _worse._

Though she will _never_ ever admit that to her sempai.

"Akayama!" speaking of her senpai, Resha-fukubuchou hollered from where she is standing, "if you have time to look at the sakura trees, spend it on running additional five laps!"

"Hai fukubuchou!"

_'Dammit,'_ she mumbled under her breath, "Great. So _now_ I'll be running 30 fucking laps."

Her legs felt like jelly, her arms are red form the glare of the afternoon sun. The humidity is killing her, and she has to run 30 laps. Just freaking-fantastic.

Looking around the tracks, she can see Rin running alongside the other junior, Hina Fumiko. The two were talking in low tones (Rin doing the opposite, she was shouting). The three freshmen, Sakuno Ryuzaki and the twins, were running together, and they were already close to finishing their laps. She glared at an innocent leaf.

It took her ten minutes more, and by that time, the other players were already warming up for the customary practice match.

Their fukubuchou, clipboard in hand, was looking at some of the players with a frown.

"Fujikawa, your serve still needs work. And I told you to twist your upper body to put more power on it."

Fujikawa- a non-regular- bowed her head but remained silent. Resha rubbed her temples, a sure sign that she's getting annoyed and frustrated.

Sairi glared at Fujikawa.

She despises people who do not recognize authority. Sure, she's a rebel, but she at least knows how to respect her superiors—well, most of the time.

"Stop glaring at your teammate, Akayama." A quiet voice reprimanded her, "and Fujikawa, 10 laps and additional 100 swings for not listening to your fukubuchou."

They all turned to see their captain with the rest of the male regulars and their coach. Sairi raised an eyebrow. _What is going on?_

Dark-brown eyes widened a fraction. "_Now_, Fujikawa."

"H-Hai!"

Resha blinked her eyes at their captain. "Buchou? Tezuka-san…Ryuzaki-sensei. What is going on?"

"Well," their captain started, "as you all know, we do not currently have a coach. We cannot enter the tournament without a coach." She stopped, eyeing each of them silently.

"So we'll share a coach with the male team. From now on, we'll be under Coach Ryuzaki."

The announcement was met with whispers amongst the non-regulars, who were obviously pleased about it. The regulars though, are a different story.

Sakuno Ryuzaki paled.

Resha's jaw dropped, her eyes wide.

Hina Fumiko all but squeaked and hid behind Miyuki, who was regarding the team in front of her with cold eyes.

The twins exchanged looks, and then shrugged.

Rin was grinning like a Chesire cat.

And she, Sairi, smirked. Finally, a chance to whoop the males' butts in tennis! The day is getting better.

"Don't worry," coach Ryuzaki said, stepping forward with her arms crossed in front of her, "I won't be much of a coach, more of just a figurehead. I believe your captain is more than capable of leading all of you. You will continue as you are presently, but we'll have our meetings and some other activities like practice and training together."

"Together?!" Hina screeched, earning surprised looks from the males and her team mates.

"Yes, Fumiko-chan, together." Coach Ryuzaki chuckled, "why? Is something wrong with that?"

Their junior flushed as she waved her hands around her. "N-No! That's not what I mean sensei…it was just…uh…a surprise?" she finished lamely, making the other girls giggle at her.

The male regulars just look at them, one by one. She knows all of them, by name and by year. Heck, Kaidoh and Momoshiro are both in her and Rin's class.

"The tournament season is here," their captain quietly said, "and I think it will be a benefit for all of us to hold some practice games with the male regulars. It'll definitely improve our play."

"Not that you need it," she heard Resha murmured beside their captain. Sairi nodded absently.

"So uh…when are we going to have a joint practice?" Rin asked.

Kisana looked at the coach, and then to Tezuka. "Whenever the male regulars are free, I think."

Tezuka nodded. "We'll work on a schedule. I think twice a week will be enough."

Resha nodded. "Right. So uh…when will it start? And should we move to the other courts? What about the non-regulars? And also…" she rambled on, not noticing the amused looks from the people around her.

Kisana chuckled. "Resha-chan, don't worry too much about it. Tezuka-san and I will settle the matter in the coming days. As for now, continue with the training." She turned to the male captain and the coach, "We'll be having our customary practice match. Would you like to stay and watch?"

Tezuka felt rather than see some of his team member's uneasiness. "Ah. Maybe next time, Kurosu-san."

The female captain stared at him for a few seconds before smiling and turning away. "Hmm. Well then, if you will excuse us." She smiled and bowed before turning away to ordering her team to go back to their practice.

He heard their coach chuckle. "Why not stay and watch Tezuka?"

He was about to reply a negative when Fuji aimed an innocent smile at him. "Ah."

The smile got wider. He watched as his friend and team mate walked up to the dark-haired girl. Inui is smirking gleefully at the other side. Tezuka can almost hear the gears working in the data-man's head.

He can not do anything but sigh and nod.

...Although the grins on Momo's and Eiji's faces made him re-think his very recent decision.

The practice matches proved to be quite interesting, Tezuka admitted silently. The match between Miyuki Kanama and Rin was...entertaining. Watching his cousin play today reminded him of the times when he would visit her and her family in Osaka. They have a rather large estate, and his uncle has relented to having their own tennis court at the behest of their daughter. Rin learned to play the sport through him, and so he would always play with her every chance he could get (which is not often, seeing as he is living in Tokyo, and she in Osaka).

On the other hand, he has only watched Miyuki Kanama play tennis. His mind went back to Inui's rambling earlier as the match goes by.

_'Miyuki Kanama is an aggressive baseline player. She has the height advantage on her side. She is a very meticulous player, and she rarely makes errors in her play.'_

She is indeed, a very careful player. Her ground strokes are neat and powerful, and she covers her baseline from left to right effortlessly.

Rin, on the other hand, is a serve and volley type of player. She favors the net more than any part of the court, and is fast with her wrists.

"Nyah! Rin-chan is getting tired!" Eiji exclaimed just as Rin missed a ball on her left court. Her breathing is getting ragged, and her movements are getting slower.

"Kanama-chan's play is getting the best of her." Oishi murmured. Tezuka nodded.

Rin's stamina has always been admirable, but after what happened almost three years ago, and having stopped playing tennis for two years has rusted her skills and fundamentals.

"Fsshhh. Kanama-sempai has strong and fast ground strokes. Hakeyama-san is having trouble running after all the balls."

"Well, Rin-chan has never learned how to cover her baseline in the same way Miyuki does." Resha said, her blue eyes focused on the panting junior. "She has always played doubles so she never had the experience of covering the whole court by herself."

"Then why put her in a singles match?" Tezuka asked, his eyes at the back of the female captain.

Resha was about to answer when she caught sight of Inui shaking his head. Clamping her lips, she waited for her captain's reply.

"Why not?" Kisana asked.

Tezuka's jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed at the girl. "Don't you think you are putting the team's victory in jeopardy?"

"Are you saying that Rin will lose?"

"That is not what I meant."

Turning to face the male captain, Kisana asked in a challenging tone, eyebrow raised and lips pursed in a thin line, "Then what _do_ you mean, Tezuka-san?"

The other regulars stared at the two captains with wide, worried eyes. It is the first time that they have seen both of them in blatant display of disagreement. The atmosphere around them is too tense that Sakuno and Hina both took a step back and casted wary eyes at the people staring at the pair curiously.

"Hn. I am merely asking why you feel the need to put her in a singles match, when obviously she is a doubles player."

Kisana turned her eyes to her team mates. She watched as Rin approached the net, luring Miyuki to it, and then hit a fast forehand, producing a passing shot landing close to the baseline.

"To be a good doubles player, you need to be able to play singles well." Kisana answered after a few seconds. "I know that when it comes to playing doubles, trust between the pair is the most important thing. But, if you cannot trust yourself and your own abilities, what good does your partner's trust would do?" she turned to the two girls playing at the court. "If Rin would always rely on someone to cover her back and to pick up her slack, her tennis will never evolve. She has to learn how to play on her own, and she can only do that if she plays a singles game."

Her answer was followed by silence, punctuated by the sound of footsteps, deep breaths and the ball being smashed and lobbed on the court. The game is almost nearing its end, with the senior girl leading at 5 games to 2.

"I don't want to limit Rin to only being a doubles player, Tezuka-san. She is made for more than that."

Tezuka's eyes widened a fraction at the silent confession. He watched as the female captain nodded to Resha before motioning to the pink-haired junior and walking to the other court. The other regulars remained where they are, intent at watching the on-going game.

"Buchou means well, Tezuka-kun." He heard Resha say beside Inui. "She will never do anything that will hurt or jeopardize this team. She has worked so hard for the last two years to let that happen." With a smile and a wink, the blue-eyed vice-captain returned her eyes to her team mates.

Oishi chuckled beside him. "You sure are worried about Rin-chan, Tezuka. But I think she's having fun out there."

His eyes went to his cousin. He may not want to admit it, but Oishi is right. The intense concentration in his cousin's face is too strong that he has to look harder to see the light in her usually deep-green eyes, the tiny lift of her lips at the corners, the glow in her cheeks. Her movements have resumed their earlier pace: fast, strong, confident. In his eyes, this is the Rin that he saw playing when she was ten years old: happy, strong and so eager to learn and show him her tennis.

"If Rin-sempai's growth will continue like this, Kisana will have a harder time in choosing who will succeed her."

His yes went to the dark-haired girl who is watching the match with her notebook open, her pen gliding across the smooth surface. Feeling eyes on her, Choharu looked up and stare at him with her dark-brown eyes, so similar to her older sister. She remained silent though.

"Ah. I do agree, Choharu-san." Inui said, his pen making a scratching noise as he wrote on. "But Akayama-san has a better chance of succeeding your sister at 78.03%"

"Hmmm?" Choharu tapped her notebook with her pen. "I think you're wrong at that assumption, Inui-sempai."

"Really? Do tell."

"Well, there's Fumiko-sempai."

Tezuka and the others turned their gazes at the silent junior who was watching the game with huge, attentive gray-eyes.

"Fumiko-san...?" Oishi murmured.

"Nyah! But she is a newbie ne?" Eiji asked with wide eyes.

"Yes." Choharu agreed. "But her skills...are akin to that of someone who has been playing the sport for years. I can not help but think she has wasted the years she hasn't been testing her skills for real."

"I see. How can you describe her then as a player?" Inui asked.

"A data-power player."

Inui's pen halted. "Explain."

Choharu raised an eyebrow in amusement. She chuckled. "She's a very, very smart girl. And I think, Tezuka-sempai has seen her game with Rin-sempai. I think you do understand what I mean..." she trailed off as she turned to look at the silent male captain.

Clearing his throat, Tezuka averted his gaze at the game. "Ah. Her shots were strong. And precise."

"She gets really good spin and power with her shots." Kaidoh murmured as an afterthought.

Momo and Eiji nodded together.

Oishi smiled. "I see. But she is rather...shy."

"You are too, Oishi-sempai."

The fukubuchou spluttered and blushed as Eiji and Momo heartily agreed. Tezuka stared at the girl.

"You are rather bold, Choharu-san."

She tilted her head, adjusted her glasses, and nodded while humming. "I'd rather you call me honest, Tezuka-sempai."

"Hn."

The game was at its last game, and Miyuki is still leading at 5 games to 3. After almost an hour, she is more than ready to end the set.

Rin's weak serve was met with a forehand that sent the ball screeching back to her courts. Rin only managed to stare at it with wide eyes.

_'Game and Set: Kanama. 6 games to 3!'_

* * *

After their captain had dismissed them, Rin dragged herself towards the water fountain. Her throat feels parched, her legs wobbly and resembled jellies rather than a limb- something she expected from playing a game with her sempai.

Reaching her destination, she dropped her bag unceremoniously to the ground and turned to the tap. Switching it on, she reached out a hand and feel the water cool her palm. Sighing, she brought down her face and drunk from it. She knows this is hardly ladylike (and surely her cousin would reprimand her if he catches her doing it), but at present time, she doesn't give a damn.

She is just so damn tired. She knew Miyuki-sempai was going to drag the game for as long as she could(that's how sadisitic the senior girl is), but she couldn't for the life of her do anything about it. And that is one of her problems.

It was just so damn easy for players like her sempai to pull her into their game. She couldn't resist. It was like a force so magnetic is pulling her, and any resistance is futile it seems(great...now she's spouting some big words, urgh!).

She sighed.

If only she can do something about it. She _wanted_ to do something about it. But more than a year of playing with the senior girl, and she still hasn't a smidgen of an idea on how to counter just that.

"Rin-chan?"

She whipped her head at the voice, and was slightly surprised to find Oishi Shuichiro a few steps away from her. She grinned sheepishly at the confused look at his face.

"Ahahaha! Shu-kun! How long have you been standing there?!" she wrung her hands around her, sending droplets of water to her hair and uniform.

Oishi chuckled. Walking towards her, he rummaged through his bag and brought out a clean and dry towel. Handing it to her, he smiled. "I was on my way home when I heard the faucet on. I didn't know you're still here, I thought you went home with Tezuka."

She took the towel with a grin. Patting her hair dry, she answered "Uh-uh. I was thirsty so I came here, and my face feels dry and hot after playing so.."

Oishi nodded. "I see. Wouldn't Tezuka wonder where you are now?"

"Nah. I told Mitsu-nii I have to go buy some things."

Oishi frowned. "Are you going with someone?"

"Nope!" her grin widened as her eyes sparkled. Oishi chuckled.

"I see. I'm on my way to buy food for my fish. Let's go together, ne?"

"YAY!" Rin squealed in delight as she clapped her hands together. "Can we get a smoothie too Shu-kun?" she begged with her eyes. "I heard about this cafe that serves the most mouth-watering, overly-delicious, totally-tempting smoothies in the whole Seishun City!" she declared in an increasingly excited and loud voice.

Shaking his head in amusement, he conceded. "Alright, but we must go now if we want to be home not too late."

He watched as Rin squealed once more and hastily grabbed her bag, stuffing the towel he gave her inside it, and closed the zipper. Her grin still on her face, she grabbed his left arm and steered him towards the path leading to the school gates.

He let her lead the way, content in just listening to her babble about anything and everything that comes into her mind, her right arm looped through his left, coming to rest at his open palm. He tilts his face down every now and then just to show her that he is listening (not listening is impossible, since her voice is loud enough to be heard a mile away). Her voice washes over him in gentle, welcoming way.

"...ne, Shu-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of me playing Singles?"

Oishi blinked at the sudden question. They were at an intersection, stopping as the traffic light turned green.

Rin impatiently tugged on her hair, her face turned sideways to stare at the shop behind her. "It's just that...I don't know...I mean, what if...I..." she breathed out. "What if I fail? I've always played doubles."

Oishi hid a smile. For all her confidence and goofy appearance, Rin Hakeyama is one scared, insecure girl. "I'm sure you'll do just fine, Rin-chan." he said gently, "After all, your captain will not put you in that position if she thinks you can not do it, right?"

"Demo-! What if I fail? I mean, Buchou maybe suffering from a momentary bout of stupidity when she thought of this you know!" she said in a rushed voice, her brow furrowed in worry.

Oishi chuckled. "Kisana-san won't be happy when she hears that, Rin-chan."

She giggled nervously. "Yeah...she'll probably make me run a thousand laps just for that!"

The two of them shared a laugh. The light went red.

They crossed the pedestrian together with a couple more people: a group of middle students from Seigaku (based on their uniform), office workers (again, based on their uniforms) and teenagers dressed in what Eiji and Momo would call 'street clothes'. It was a short walk, and as they walked the familiar path towards the infamous cafe, Oishi found himself tugging Rin's arm, garnering her attention.

"I don't think you'll do great Rin-chan," he smiled at her confused look, "I _know_ you'll do great. I _know_ you'll win."

A slow smile broke out of her face, and Oishi couldn't help his own smile that is tugging at his lips.

"Arigatou, Shu-kun." She said in a soft voice. And then, she giggled once again, and tugged harder at his arm, "Now let's go get food for your fishes! Are they getting bigger and bigger?! When can we cook them?! I'm hungry!"

* * *

"So we cannot have the uniform in time for the district tournaments?" Resha asked as she eyed a pair of dark-blue wristbands, "Hey, which do you think looks better on me? Blue or green?"

"Blue. Green is not your color. And yes, meaning we have to wear our black and red uniform for the meantime." Kisana answered without turning to her friend.

Resha snorted and rolled her eyes as she returned the green pair back to where she got them. "For the meantime huh?"

"Hmm."

Resha eyed her captain, who is currently fingering a black and red wrist band, and then placing them back to they're original place. "How about the four new members?"

"Well, I just so happened to have _four unused_ red and black uniforms at home. I am sure they would fit them."

"_Right._" Resha nodded her head in a mocking agreement. "What a coincidence, no?"

Kisana hummed once more.

Shaking her head, Resha walked to the other aisle, where the grip tapes are displayed. She rather favors the green one, but since she still have some back home...

She picked up two rolls of the black ones. Sadaharu tends to favor them over the other brands, and she noticed that he is in need of it. Though, considering her boyfriend is one who can anticipate just about everything...

Chuckling, she picked them up and moved on to the next display. She was about to examine the array anti-bacterial socks when her eyes caught two familiar figures at the cafe opposite the shop she and Kisana are currently at.

"Hey, isn't that Rin-chan and Oishi-kun?" Resha murmured as she blinked her eyes at the scene. "Are they on a date?" She turned wide eyes at the girl beside her.

"Hmmm? Dating?" Kisana asked back from somewhere behind her.

"Yeah. Here, look."

Resha tugged the other girl beside her, and pointed at the scene.

"Oh. That's them, alright." Kisana said in a soft tone. "But, I don't think they are on a date, Resha-chan."

"Yeah? Why do you say that?"

Kisana shrugged. "Well, it seems to me both of them bought something and just happens to have gone together."

Resha blinked. "Eh...?"

"They have bags with them Resha-chan. Rin-chan's is from a pharmacy, while Oishi-san bought food for his pets." Kisana explained.

"Just how the hell did you know that?!"

Kisana stared at her. "The bags."

Resha stared.

And stared.

And stared some more.

And _then_ she saw the bags.

"..."

"Besides, I don't think those two would start dating...at least not now." Kisana added.

"Choharu's predictions?" Resha asked in an amused tone.

"Hmmm. She said at least after summer."

Resha chukled. "I wonder what would Tezuka-kun do about that."

Kisana grinned lightly at her. "I am more interested in what his reaction would be."

Resha nodded, in her mind she pictured an image of Rin and Oishi on a date together, with the stoic male captain hovering over them like a hawk. She erupted in giggles. "Now _that's_ a thought."

Kisana agreed. "By the way, are you buying that?"

She nodded, and then followed the shorter girl to the cashier. After paying for their purchases, they went out, and Resha's lips breaks into a smile upon seeing Inui waiting outside.

"Sada-kun!"

Inui turned towards her, just in time to brace himself from her sudden hug. Kisana chuckled at the hint of pink at the data-man's cheeks.

"Kisana-san." He nodded at her, and tilting his head at Resha, who was grinning up at him. "Resha."

"Well, I guess this is where we part eh, Resha-chan?" there was hint of teasing in her tone, but Resha simply smiled prettily at her.

"You can come with us! We're going the same way anyway." Resha invited.

Kisana shook her head. "Please. I'd rather not be the third wheel."

Resha giggled at her. "You will never be the third wheel Kisana-chan! Sada-kun could be the third-wheel!" she patted the man's shoulder.

Inui merely raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Please do not make insinuations like that Resha."

The two girls chuckled at his bland tone.

"I best be going. See you two tomorrow." Kisana bowed, and nodding at them, turned on her heel and walked.

The two watched as she blended in with the crowd and disappeared.

Resha suddenly felt Sadaharu's hand tugging at her bag. Smiling, she let him take it and shrug it to his left shoulder, along with his own. For once, his notebook is nowhere in sight.

"Na, Sada-kun..." she started, but was cut off by his voice.

"There is a 98.17% chance that you would want to visit the pocky shop before going home."

She laughed openly at him, grabbing his available arm with both of her arms. "How did you know that?!"

Inui stared at her. "How can I _not_ know about it?"

Resha laughed even louder, people they are passing by looking curiously at her, but she didn't give them any mind. Her attention is at the male who is eyeing her blankly, though he can see the corner of his lips tugging upwards.

"Well, Sada-kun, can we please go there?"

"Hmm. I figured you'd say that so I took the liberty of buying while you were at that shop." He showed her his purchase, the logo of the pocky shop she loves so much neatly printed at the front of the small paper bag. "We'll save 45 minutes and 13 seconds this way."

"I do _not_ take that much time Sada-kun!" she protested.

"Of course you do...78.55% of the times actually."

She pouted, huffing as she glared at him. "You're so infuriating sometime."

Inui chuckled. "I merely took into consideration the fact that you wanted to talk about the upcoming tournament. We can go there if you really want to."

Resha sighed, leaning into his arm as they stopped to wait for the bus. "Nah. I'd rather go home. I feel tired after today's practice."

"91.00% chance of you saying that."

Resha rolled her eyes mockingly at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "You data-freak, you."

Inui patted her head with his right hand in a patronizing way. She glared at him.

Chuckling, Inui turned his eyes in front of him. "I do have some things I wanted to discuss with you."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you on our way home."

"Fine." She sighed a little bit louder this time, knowing that Inui would get the drift.

"One minute and 34 seconds Resha, and you'll get your strawberry pocky."

Her answering laughter was drowned by the sound of the cars passing by the street in front of them, but her melodic voice wasn't lost on Inui Sadaharu's ears.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

The following days were lost in a flurry of morning tennis pracice, home works, lectures, boring and nervous lunches, boring lectures (again)and afternoon tennis practice.

_"Adjust your grip, Ryuzaki-san. It is too loose."_

_The auburn-head freshman squeaked at the gentle reprimand._

_"Fumiko-san, your form is too tense. Loose some tension."_

_"H-Hai fukubuchou!"_

_"Godammit Hakeyama! What the hell happened to your serve?!"_

_"Shut up Akayama! That was one time!"_

_"One time my ass! You've been double-faulting since we started playing!"_

_"I do not!"_

_"You do idiot!"_

_"Hakeyama! Akayama! Language! LANGUAGE!"_

Come Friday, Kisana handed the four newest regulars their uniform, and Hina and Sakuno couldn't help but gulp and shake in nervousness as they grab the red and black jersey.

"YATTA!" Rin squealed as she hugged the uniform to her. "I missed wearing this jersey!"

Sairi smirked as she ran her eyes at the said uniform. "Finally."

Miyuki simply sighed and eyed her captain, an eyebrow raised. Kisana just smiled at her.

Resha chuckled, patting her best friend's shoulder. "Don't ask Miyuki-chan."

"Kisana, are you sure this is my size?" Choharu eyed the top suspiciously. "This seemed to be a _bit_ smaller."

"Of course not Cho. It's perfectly fitted to each and one of you." the captain answered in a sincere tone (Resha and Choharu rolled their eyes at this.) Amika laughed nervously.

"They do seem a little bit smaller, Kisa-Kisa."

The captain ignored them. "Take a rest this weekend, all of you. And remember, we meet at 7 o'clock sharp here at Seishun High."

_"Hai!" "Yeah!" "Yes."_

"That is all. Dismissed."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

The morning of the district tournament couldn't have dawned better.

The sky was clear blue, with wisps of soft-white clouds floating by. The morning breeze is calming, the temperature unusually lower on a typical June day. On a pavilion close to a series of tennis courts, students in white and blue and red and black loitered, racket bags leaning on the feet of the table or at the pillars of the said structure, while their owners went about with the customary warm ups before their games.

"Have you submitted the line-up Oishi?" Tezuka asked his vice-captain.

"Hai. Me and Takami-chan did as soon as we arrived."

Tezuka nodded in approval."Hn. Where is Echizen?"

"Nyah! Ochibi said he'll buy a Ponta!" Eiji shouted atop Momo's back while the junior is doing his push-up.

"Eiji-sempai! You are too heavy!"

"Nyah! Don't complain Momo-chi!"

"But Eiji-sempai!"

"Urusei baka!"

"What did you say mamushi?!"

The rest of the regulars and non-regulars just watched as the two squabble away.

On the other side...

"Geez...haven't these perverts seen a girl in a tennis skirt before?!" Sairi growled under her breath as she glared at each and every male that is stopping to look at them. "And why the hell is this skirt too short?!"

Kisana sighed from where she is sitting. "Sairi-chan, it is not short. It is the same length as last year."

The junior didn't reply. Instead, she turned to Rin who was looking unusually nervous. She rolled her eyes and decided not to aggravate the other girl, for now. She is nervous as it is.

Sakuno sat rigidly at the bench, beside her is Choharu, who was silently writing something on her notebook.

This is it. The first day of the tournaments. Her very first official match. And kami-sama, she's as nervous as a bride going to her wedding-not that she knows how a bride feels. Her palms felt clammy, she can feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her legs are trembling and her head feels funny.

She felt like throwing up.

"Try breathing deeply Ryuzaki-chan."

Her head whipped sideways towards the girl beside her. Choharu still has her eyes at her notebook, in her right hand a black pen while her left is holding the notebook open.

"You'll feel better if you do it. Don't worry about being nervous, it's normal." She continued.

"Ah..anou..." Sakuno mumbled, uneasiness pouring off of her. "Kurosu-san..."

"Call me Choharu, please. There are three of us sharing that name."

"Uh..."

"Just remember your training with Amika, and you'll be fine."

Sakuno smiled despite herself. Choharu can sometimes be a little bit weird, but it is quite refreshing how the other girl can make her feel better just by saying some words. Even during their practice matches, Choharu has been very helpful, if not too observant.

"Hai, Choharu-san. Don't you feel nervous, Choharu-san?" she asked in a curious voice.

"Not really. I've been to so many games that feeling nervous sounded funny to my ears."

"Ah...souka." She grinned sheepishly as she scratched her head. "It would take me years before I'll get rid of my nervousness."

Choharu stared at her then, and Sakuno couldn't help but admire the other girl's beautiful eyes. Her eyelashes are sweeping up in an elegant curve.

Although her stare somewhat is making her feel a little uncomfortable.

Choharu shrugged, and her eyes left Sakuno. "Just don't worry too much about it and you'll do fine."

Sakuno nodded. "Uhn!"

"Okay girls! Gather up!"

The female regulars immediately scrambled and walked towards their fukubuchou, who was holding a piece of paper in her hand, a grin on her face.

"Our first game is against Minami High at 8:00 sharp!"

"That's 45 minutes from now, fukubuchou." Sairi murmured from beside Miyuki.

Resha nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yep! So those who are on the line-up, do your warm-up! You have 30 minutes to spare. After that, come back here so we can have some heart to heart pre-game talk with our dear captain okay?!"

Miyuki shook her head along with Kisana, who was almost nodding off on her seat. She wondered if the captain will be able to stay awake for the 'heart-to-heart' talk. Most probably...not.

"Go warm-up now!"

"Hai~~!"

Amika smiled at Sakuno. "Ryuzaki-chan, let's do some light rally ne?"

The auburn head nodded. "Hai!"

"Uh...Choharu-san.." Hina mumbled as she stands beside the other freshman girl.

"Fumiko-sempai, would you want to read my notes while we do some stretches?" Choharu asked her as she closed her notebook with a snap.

Hina smiled at her. "Hai. I'd like to know about our opponents."

"Hmmm. Well, let's go shall we?"

Sairi watched as the freshmen and the other junior went on their way. She turned towards the other singles player. Miyuki-sempai is fixing her shoelace, while Rin is chugging from her water bottle.

"Oi, Hakeyama! Let's run."

"Sure. Let's see who has better stamina, ne?"

Sairi returned her smirk with one of her own. "Whatever. Just don't get left behind panting."

"Pfft. As if."

Standing up, Miyuki stared at the two girls. "The two of you stop squabbling and start running."

She then took off, with the two juniors jogging behind her.

Looking at the girls in the distance, Resha chuckled as she puts her hand up, shielding her eyes from the glare of the morning sun.

"It's a good day ne, Kisana-chan?"

The female captain hummed, her eyes glazing over at the paper in her hand.

Turning her head, Resha stared at the sitting girl. Kisana looked calm and sleepy. It's as if their team is not going to play today.

"What is it Resha?"

Resha chuckled. Trust Kisana to be so annoyingly observant. "Nothing. Just...aren't you nervous or something?"

"About what?"

"About the tournament. Duh, Kisana! The tournament is here. Show at least a little bit of nervousness will you?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't feel nervous, so why would I show it?"

Resh sighed. "Whatever. I'll go over there and talk to Sada-kun 'kay? Call me if you need something."

Seeing her captain nod her head, Resha made her way towards where the male regulars are, well, most of them anyway.

"Saa...Resha-chan, how's your team doing?" Fuji asked her before she reached them.

Inui turned towards her and nodded. "Resha. Your team?"

"They're doing great. Those in the line-up are warming up. Buchou is just there sitting. I think she's still a little bit sleepy." She answered with a grin. Come to think of it, Kisana is always sleepy at this time.

Her answer had the Tensai smiling. In a record time, he has his racket back to its bag and is walking towards where she left her captain with some of their members.

"Saa...I'll just ask Kisana-chan something, na Tezuka."

Said male captain just sighed as he glared at the walking brunette.

Resha giggled as she stands beside Inui, who was smirking as he wrote something on his notebook.

"I swear Fuji-kun looks like the typical love-sick teenagers nowadays. It is so cute watching him!" she giggled harder at the glare that Tezuka brandished at her.

"I just hope he will outgrow this ridiculous phase."

"98.11% of that not happening, Buchou." Inui declared.

Tezuka does _not_ need to hear that.

Cupping her face with her left palm, Kisana let out a yawn behind her right hand. She is feeling unbearably sleepy this morning. She has stayed up late last night doing some research and writing her essays for her literature class. She only got a little over four hours of sleep. And now her eyes are dropping on their own. She yawned once more. Her head feels heavy, and her eyes too. But she couldn't possibly sleep out here, right?

The piece of paper she was holding earlier slipped out of her hand, and down it fell. She didn't notice though, as her eyes were already dropping close. The cool breeze is slowly lulling her to sleep, and it is becoming difficult to resist.

She heard a soft sigh as a gentle hand brushes her hair away from her face. She blinked her eyes sleepily.

"Fuji-kun...?" she murmured sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

Fuji chuckled, the back of his hand on her cheek. "Go to sleep Kisana-chan. I'll watch over you."

'His voice is so warm...' Kisana sighed. She does really want to sleep, but...

"Saa...I'm not going to do anything...mean or sadistic while you're sleeping Kisana-chan." He murmured beside her, and even in her drowsy state, she can hear a hint of pain or sadness in his voice. It makes her chest hurt a little.

She hummed. Keeping her half-open eyes at him as she raised her face from her palm which was lying flat on the table, she noticed that his are open. Those beautiful sapphire-blue orbs are looking at her softly, a small smile on his lips, the light is making him look like an angel.

Smiling a little to herself, she leaned towards him and put her head on his shoulder, she felt him stiffen a little at the contact. And then, after a moment, he relaxed, as he brought his arm around her tentatively, slowly, as if he was afraid she is going to bolt away from him. She sighed, and closed her eyes as she succumbed to the temptation of sleep.

She didn't get to see the extremely soft smile that graced the Tensai's face, as he gripped her shoulder a little tightly, before easing it with the softest of sighs.

Minutes later, Amika and the rest of the regulars went back from their warm up.

Sakuno and Hina immediately flushed at the scene, while Rin nearly squealed (Sairi covered her mouth just in time). Choharu just mumbled about data and statistics about her older sister's love life, while Amika was smiling ever so softly beside her.

Miyuki, rolled her eyes at the grinning vice-captain beside her, who, in all her smugness glory,ordered the girls to go to the court where they'll be playing, leaving the sleeping captain behind.

With one last look at the smiling Tensai, Resha turned on her heel and walked after her team.

They have a game to win.

* * *

**Done. Whew!**

**That was hard. **

**Have nothing to say...other than Read and Review guys!**

**Hahahahahah XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello people of the PoT FanFic world! **

**I am back! Wheehee!**

**Yolanda can't stop us from writing PoT stories. Nuh-uh!**

**Hahahahaha.**

**Ehem. **

**Anyways, here's the next chap for my story. This is the first two games of the district preliminaries.**

**Go. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: Yes. You know it, I do not own PoT. Just the OC's and this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Bounce Back**

* * *

Tezuka led his team towards the designated courts of their female team. They are the current district champion, so they got a bye for the first round. The second round isn't too much of a trouble, and they won at Singles 3. The finals will be tomorrow.

"Yosh! We can still watch the girls' games!" Momo shouted as he pumped a fist to the air. Eiji joined him in cheering.

"Nyah! Hayaku! Hayaku!"

The rest watched as the two hyper active males raced ahead of them.

"Saa...they sure are energetic huh?"

"Yeah. Considering the fact that both of them just played two sets of tennis." Oishi smiled beside the captain.

"Che."

Fuji chuckled at the sullen freshman. Not being able to play today has dampen the already sour mood of the prince.

"You'll get your chance tomorrow Echizen." The Tensai smiled, "We'll be expecting you to finish the match at Singles 3."

"Hn." A cocky smirk emerged from beneath the hat.

Tezuka shook his head slightly. "How are things going for the female team Inui?"

Nodding at his captain, Inui flipped two-pages from his notebook before going on with his report. "They already won their first doubles game. 2 sets to love. Both 6 games to love."

Kaidoh whistled. "Impressive."

"Hn. Is it the same line-up as this morning?"

"Yes."

Tezuka frowned. The girls easily won the first round, claiming the first three matches in a series of 2 sets to love, 6 to 0 games. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why the female captain insists on retaining the same line-up.

"99.00% chance that the same line-up will be playing tomorrow." Inui added.

Oishi voiced out his concern. "Demo-! Won't the girls get tired? Playing two to three sets per game can be exhausting!"

"Even for us." Kaidoh murmured. By now, they are already turning at the last corner before reaching the courts. They can hear a loud cheer erupting from the direction of the court. A huge crowd currently gathered at the point.

"We'll see. They do have a very intense training regimen. I believe it can rival ours." Inui commented as he lead his team to the court.

Upon arriving, Momo and Eiji waved at them.

The two were standing behind the female regulars, except from Amika and Sakuno (who are currently playing), and Kisana (who was sitting at the bench).

"Nyah! Amika-san and Sakuno-chan are just so cool!" Eiji exclaimed as he hugged Echizen who has just arrived.

"That hurts, Eiji-sempai!"

Rin turned, and grinned upon seeing her cousin and the rest of the team. "YAY! You're here to see my awesomeness Mitsu-nii!"

Tezuka regarded the now clinging-in-his-arm hyper girl coolly.

Resha chuckled at them. "Yo! It seems you made quick work of your opponent huh."

Fuji smiled. "Saa...I think our players were a little too excited to be playing at the tournament again."

"You ended your game at exactly 30 minutes, Fuji-sempai." Echizen stated dryly, "You are the most excited amongst us."

Fuji just smiled as he tilted his head to the side. "Saa...not at all, Echizen."

Deciding it better not to reply any further, the freshman just turned his eyes to the court.

...and watch as Sakuno smashed the ball to her opponent's middle court.

_'Game and Set! Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. 6 games to love. One set to love!'_

"Whoah! That was fast!" Momo exclaimed.

_'She's gotten better than the last time I saw her play.' _Echizen thought as the two girls walked back to their bench.

"Eighteen minutes and 30 seconds." Choharu declared from beside her doubles partner. "8.5% percent faster than our first set, Fumiko-sempai."

The junior nodded her head. "But Amika-san's tempo is slower than usual don't you think?"

"Hmm. She's doing it so Ryuzaki-chan can keep up."

"I see."

Eiji and the rest of the male regulars blinked at the conversation.

At the court, Kisana handed the two freshmen girls their drinks.

"How was it?" she asked.

Amika grinned. "It was a little slow, but we'll get them faster at the next set."

Sakuno nodded. Practicing with Amika has her used to her terminology when playing. She knew the other girl is slowing down so she can keep up. "Don't mind me, Amika-san. I will do my best to keep up with you."

Amika waved her hand at her, smile still on her lips. "It's okay Ruzaki-chan! We still have a game tomorrow, so slowing down today is actually to reserve our stamina for that!"

Sakuno blinked. Tomorrow...?

Kisana chuckled. "The finals is tomorrow, Ryuzaki-chan."

"Oh..."

"Well," their captain turned her eyes at the court, a smile on her lips. "Keep up the pace, both of you. And Ryuzaki-chan."

"Hai?"

"Keep off of the net for now. Those two will be luring you closer to it, since they've already noticed your weakness on it. Amika."

"Hai?"

"Both of you play at the baseline. I reckon they will be smashing their way through this set."

Amika nodded. "Understood." Turning to Sakuno, she smiled. "Let's win this, ne, Ryuzaki-chan?"

"Uhn!"

The second set was won at exactly fifteen minutes.

_"Game, Set and Match: Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair! 2 sets to love."_

"..._and_ that's my cue to warm-up! Geez, those two didn't even take an hour!" Rin grumbled as she pulled out her racket out of its bag and grabbed a couple of balls. "Buchou!" she hollered. "I'll do my warm-ups now!"

The other girls chuckled as the junior walked away grumbling under her breath.

"Congratulations you two." Kisana said as soon as Amika and Sakuno reached the bench. "That was a good game."

The two shared a grin.

"Go and cool down. We have ten minutes to spare before Rin's match."

"Hai!"

Kisana watched as Amika slung an arm at the other girl's shoulder, who in turn tilted her face upwards, a hesitant and shy smile on her face.

The afternoon sun is beating down at the court; her mind went back to what Resha told her earlier.

Keeping the same line-up for successive games has the team receiving raised eyebrows from the other players, male and females alike. After all, playing two three-set matches in one day can really make players tired. But she personally thinks that this is what the new regulars needed to do, to experience. And even if a small part of her is apprehensive, the other bigger part trusts her players to break through this.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Walking towards where the other regulars are, Amika took her arm off of Sakuno's shoulder. She can see Kikumaru-sempai and Momoshiro-sempai waving their hands excitedly at them, or rather, she mused, at Sakuno.

"You should go to them Ryuzaki-chan. They seem excited to congratulate you." She smiled at the girl beside her.

"Uh..."

She nodded. "Go on."

Smiling at her with a slight bow of her head, the auburn-head jogged up to her sempai-tachi. There is a spring to her steps, a giddy energy radiating off of her lithe frame. Her eyes caught a bored-looking freshman male beside the two grinning seniors, and she knew there was another reason why her doubles partner was acting the way she is.

She chuckled to herself.

She felt a grin slowly breaking out of her lips upon reaching her team mates.

"Good job, Amika-chan!" the blue-eyed vice-captain flashed her a thumbs-up, her lips in a wide grin.

"Saa...that was a good game, Amika-chan. Too bad it's too short."

Oishi smiled at her. "It was a good game, Amika-san, Ryuzaki-chan. You two looked like you've been playing doubles for a long time. Very impressive."

Amika smiled while Sakuno blushed. Momo and Eji both pinched her cheeks, earning a surprised yelp from the girl (and a glare from someone).

Sairi-sempai smirked at her.

"Did a quick work of them, didn't you?"

"I figured you wouldn't want to be bored so much, Sairi-sempai." she answered lightly.

Her sempai flicked her pink ponytail behind her. "Psh. It's not as if they are even a bit of a challenge to you."

She just laughed. "Well, I and Ryuzaki-chan did well together, so yeah..." she lifted her shoulder in a show of nonchalance.

"You two did." Choharu suddenly quipped, "Ryuzaki-chan is slowly starting to read your movements, and she can keep up with you now." The dark-haired girl throw a look of admiration at the flushing girl. "We just need to fix your footwork and stamina. You're running out of breath after the first set."

Sakuno mumbled something under her breath as Amika nodded her head. "Yeah. I enjoy playing with you, Ryuzaki-chan. Let's do this again tomorrow ne?"

Sakuno nodded, eyes aglow and cheeks pink.

Taking off her wrist bands, Amika turned to her fukubuchou. "I'm going for a bit of a run, fukubuchou."

Resha nodded her head, eyes focused on the court. "Just don't take too long. Rin's match is coming shortly."

"Hai."

"Take off your weights, Amika." Choharu's voice sounded. "You too, Ryuzaki-chan. You'll strain your muscles."

_"WHAT?!"_

Kaidoh, Eiji, Momo and Oishi shouted at the same time, making Kisana turn her head towards them, along with other spectators.

Inui chuckled beside Resha. Fuji smiled, while Tezuka sighed in resignation.

* * *

Rin's match only took close to thirty minutes, and the brown-haired girl emerged victorious in a clean 6-0, 6-0 sets-claiming the team's sixth straight two-sets-to-love win. They couldn't have been happier.

The sun has gone down, drowning the city in a bath of semi-darkness. Lights flickered, and multi-colored neon lights brightened the streets. Right now, the team is seated at a pizza/burger joint, with Rin ordering three kinds of pizza at the same time, Resha encouraging her by pitching in her own ridiculous order.

"Really, Resha. Stop encouraging Rin's monstrous appetite." Miyuki sighed to her friend. Resha just grinned at her.

"But I love pizza Miyu-chan!"

Shaking her head, the blue-haired beauty turned to the girl on her other side. "Aren't you ordering Kisana-san?"

"Choharu already did for me, Miyuki-chan. She knows what I want."

"I see. What are you reading?"

Shifting a little, Miyuki eyed the book on her captain's hands. "_Iliad,_" she reads. _In Greek,_ her mind added wryly. Trust her captain to read a novel in its mother language.

"I wanted something to pass the time, so I brought this one. It is such a good read."

She nodded, eyes skimming along the characters at the cover of the novel. How many times has she seen Kisana read a book in a foreign language? Too many times it seemed, and it always elicit a wave of unsurprising admiration in her, though she will never show it otherwise.

Leaving the captain to her reading, she turned her attention to the rest of her team mates. Rin and Resha are off to sharing a giant pizza, with Sairi shooting her fellow junior dirty looks ("Will you chew your food soundlessly Hakeyama?! You sound like a pig!"). Hina and Choharu are exchanging data ("If we change the angle to eighty-five degree instead of ninety-degree, there is a 67.09% chance that we can recreate that shot..."), while Amika and Sakuno were just listening and eating with smiles in their faces.

The district preliminaries were already halfway done, but the girls (who played) don't even look tired. Winning two consecutive matches doesn't seem to affect them. Although, considering the amount of training that they've gone through, that should be expected. Their captain is a monster, after all.

But, she must admit, she missed playing an official tennis match. Not being the Singles 3 player has limited her chances of playing at the tournament.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"Now, now Rin-chan. Don't make too much noise ne?"

Rin huffed as she crossed her arm and glared at Sairi, who smirked at her smugly.

"But I want more pizza Buchou! I'm so hungry!" the brown-haired junior wailed. Resha, who was beside her, patted the girl's head, as if calming a child.

"There, there. Buchou is just worried that you'll get a bloated stomach and may have to sit down tomorrow's match Rin-chan."

The pink-haired junior rolled her eyes. "Fukubuchou, her stomach is already bloated. She has eaten _eight_ slices of pizza _and_ drank _three_ large-sized sodas. That's like, my pizza and soda quota for a month."

"Too much caffeine and sugar is not good for you sempai." Choharu said, checking something in er notebook. "If you continue drinking that, I may have to give you one of Inui-sempai's drinks to counter it's effects."

Rin yelped as she pushed the soda drink away from her. "FINE! FINE! I won't touch that anymore! Just don't give me any of that drink!"

Resha chuckled at Rin's reaction. People tend to react the same way whenever faced with the idea of drinking her boyfriend's concoctions. Not that she can blame them. She loves Sadaharu dearly, but she cannot, for the life of her, endure drinking any of his creations ever again.

Hina blinked her eyes at them, a confused look in her face. "What is wrong with Inui-sempai's drinks?" she asked no one in particular.

"They taste like shit, Fumiko-chan." Sairi answered.

"Language, Sairi. Language." Sighing, Resha turned to the other junior. "They don't...really taste that well, Fumiko-chan."

("More like they taste like elephant piss.") Sairi mumbled under her breath.

"Inui-sempai's drinks don't taste too bad..." Sakuno mumbled, "...uh…not that much." She added at Sairi's stare.

"_Right_. Have you ever tasted Inui Juice Version whatever, Ryuzaki-chan?"

Sakuno fiddled with her drink. "Uh…anou…hai."

Rin's eyes widened at her. "How many times?"

"A-about three or...four times?"

Rin's jaw dropped, along with Sairi's. Even Resha is blinking hard at her. "_And you're still alive?_"

The freshman squeaked at Rin's voice. Amika, who was sitting beside her, laughed while placing a hand on her shoulder. "Rin-sempai, you're scaring Ryuzaki-chan and Fumiko-sempai."

The rest turned to the silent junior, only to sweat drop at the expression on her face.

"Ne, is that how you look when you're excited, or when you're scared, Fumiko-sempai?" Choharu asked in a deadpan voice.

Miyuki just shook her head at the other girls.

"They look quite comfortable with each other already, don't they Miyuki-chan?" she heard a soft voice ask her.

Smiling softly, she nodded, taking a bite of her snack. "Ah. They certainly do, Kisana-Buchou."

* * *

Momo yawned as he stretches his arms above his head. They are now walking home after being dropped off by the bus. The game he played today had him tired, but excited at the same time. The finals of the district preliminaries is tomorrow, and he is pumped to play some more. He just hopes that Tezuka-Buchou will put him in the line-up.

Speaking of line-ups...

"Oi, Echizen." he called out to his companion.

"Hn."

"What do you think of the girls' team? They are pretty good neh?"

Echizen hummed. "Ah. They're..not bad." He can hear the smirk in the freshman's voice.

Chuckling, he messed Ryoma's capped-hair. "I saw you staring at Sakuno-chan's legs earlier. Don't deny it!"

"I was not."

"I told you not to deny it!"

"Che. Whatever."

Hearing the finality on the younger male's voice, Momo decided to drop the teasing. "But they are really good. Playing two matches in one day is hard enough, but playing two sets each game is even harder. I really wonder what kind of training they do."

"Maybe Inui-sempai helps them with it. He's the vice-captain's boyfriend, right?"

Momoshiro nodded. "Yeah. You got a point. Maybe he also helps them with data."

Echizen stared at him with bored eyes. "They have their own data-person, you know."

Blinking, Momo scratched the back of his head. "Ah-ha-ha, I totally forgot about Choharu Kurosu-san! She does the same 'data-talk' thingy. And also, that other junior, Hina Fumiko. Man, they have two data-person in their team?! No wonder they are good."

Echizen did not reply. He doesn't really want to think about it, but Momo-sempai's words peaked his curiosity. "Ne, sempai."

"Huh?"

"Why is it that girls' team is new? Didn't Seishun have a girl team before?"

Surprised with the question, Momo took some time before answering. "I'm not really sure, since by the time I entered high school, the team wasn't there anymore. But, from what I've heard, some of the regulars were inolved in a fight, or something like that. The school board decided to suspend the club from joining the inter-high tournaments since then."

"Hnn. Souka. But sempai-tachi seem close to the other regulars."

Grinning at his kouhai's inquistiveness, Momo ruffled his hair some more, earning a sharp glare from Ryoma. "Well, that's to be expected. Takami-sempai is Inui-sempai's girlfriend after all. And then, Kanama-sempai was fukubuchou's classmate for two years, and now she is in the same class as Buchou and Fuji-sempai and Inui-sempai. And then the captain..." Momo frowned as his voice trailed off. Echizen stared at him impatiently.

"Come to think of it, aside from being the captain, Buchou's classmate and Fuji-sempai's love interest, I don't really know that much about Kurosu-sempai. She's very secretive."

"Hnn." Echizen stared ahead of him. "How about the others?"

"Well, Rin-chan is Buchou's cousin. Akayama-san is actually my classmate, and she's popular in our year. Fumiko-san, she's a transferee and one of the smartest in our year. Those twins, they played for Seigaku in their junior high years."

"Really?"

Momo nodded. "Yeah. They were the number one doubles pair in the circuit. They went undefeated from when they start competing. Even Buchou is impressed by them."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Buchou watched almost all of their games! And I heard he plays games with them." Momo grinned. "Kidding aside, their captain is really good. You should watch her play."

"Hnn. I'll decide when I see her whether she's good or not."

The spiky-haired dunk-specialist barked out a laugh. "Cocky brat."

Echizen smirked. But, he wouldn't deny that he was a_ little_ bit intrigued.

* * *

The next day dawned just as bright and sunny as the other day. And now, the whole Seishun High Tennis club, both male and female, with its regulars and members, is waiting patiently at the courts.

"So we will have the girl's finals in the morning and the male's finals later this afternoon." Oishi confirmed as he, Tezuka, Kisana, Resha and Coach Ryuzaki read the announcement.

"I see. Well, at least we can watch each other's game neh?"Resha smiled, and then looked at Kisana. "Are we going to have the same line-up, Buchou?"

The female captain nodded, her eyes lingering at the paper she was holding. "Yes."

Coach Ryuzaki lifted an eyebrow at her. She wasn't able to attend the matches yesterday due to an emergency meeting that was called by the sports commission. But she was informed by the unchanging line-up on the side of the female team. "Are you sure about this Kurosu-chan? The girls may be tired from yesterday."

"Not to say the opposing team may have gotten enough data about your players to hurt your chances at winning." Tezuka added.

Smiling at both of them, Kisana said "Please don't worry about it, Tezuka-san, Ryuzaki-sensei. The data they've gathered will definitely not cost us this match."

Chuckling, the coach relented. "If you say so, Kurosu-chan. You know your team better than anybody else." Turning to the others, she said. "Yosh! Take the championship minna!"

"Hai!"

_'The Finals between Seishun High and Hoshiyumi High will start now.'_

The announcement broke the quiet tension that has been hanging around the court, as the players and members of their respective clubs snapped to attention.

"This is it huh?" Resha murmured beside her captain. Her blue eyes scanned the grounds. A handful of other players from different clubs are hanging around the courts, some have taken a seat at the grass surrounding the area.

Seems like they are going to have quite an audience.

"Are you sitting at the bench?" she asked louder.

"No. Ryuzaki-sensei will be."

She nodded, curls bouncing in her head. "Okay then. Let's head to where the rest of the team is."

"Hmm."

Their team was already at their designated area outside the courts.

Inui nodded at the two as they approached. "Choharu-san and Fumiko-san are already warming up."

Resha's eyes flicked to where the two are reading their notes. She sweat dropped along with the males.

"That's how they warm-up?!" Momo asked in a surprised voice. "What kind of warming up is that?!"

Amika grinned at his surprised look. "That's how data-player warms up, I think, Momoshiro-sempai. They read their notes before doing their stretches."

The dunk specialist turned to look at her, his face still sporting the same expression he had earlier. "But shouldn't they do more?"

"They already did earlier, before we left." was Amika's answer.

"Oh."

"You worry too much over nothing, Peach." Sairi yawned lazily at her spot, leaning on Resha's shoulders.

"OI!"

"Just shut up and watch."

"Sairi-chan, be nice."

"Hai, Buchou."

Momoshiro mumbled something under his breath. Sairi Akayama really knows how to get under his skin. They've been in the same class for two consecutive years, but they've never really been more than that. All he knows is that the girl is one of the rudest people he's ever met.

"I'm so excited nyah! Both our teams will be playing at the finals!"

Rin joined Eiji's cheerfulness. "Yeah! We'll take the trophy home today!"

"Fssshhhh." Kaidoh agreed, nodding lightly as his eyes stared at the two girls currently standing near the bench. Their coach is already sitting there, a picture of nonchalance and calm.

_'Doubles 2 match between Hoshiyumi's Suga-Akio pair and Seishun's Fumiko-Kurosu pair will begin now. Players please come to the court.'_

Hina exhaled deeply as the announcement echoed through the court. She can feel the strong, loud beating of her heart. This is only her third match; she still hasn't gotten over the shock and nervousness of playing in such a bigger court and audience.

"It'll be okay, Fumiko-sempai." Choharu said as she raised her arms over her head, tilting her face to look at Hina. "This is our third match together, right? I'm sure it'll turn out just the way we like it in the end."

"Ah..." she offered the younger girl a nervous smile, amazed at how Choharu retains her calm countenance. Maybe it really comes with experience. Three years of playing in this kind of environment can certainly toughen up a player.

Walking towards the center of the court to meet their opponents, Hina couldn't help but gawk with open-mouthed amazement at the two girls.

They did have data about them, but reading the numbers and seeing them in real life are two different things. They are _huge._ Towering at 168 cm., the muscles in their arms and legs are bulging, untapped power waiting to be unleashed.

She looked up, and she felt a shiver run down her spine at the hostile look the two girls are giving her.

"Ah-anou.., Let's have a good game!" she bowed her head, prompting Choharu to sigh beside her, while the two other girls just raised their eyebrows and scoffed at her.

"Seriously? Is this what Seishun has to offer? Pathetic."

"Now, now, Kiyo-chan. Don't count them out just yet. Who knows they'll be able to take a game off of us?"

"Che. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Choharu stared apathetically as the two girls flicked their hair and turned on their heels to return to their baseline. She and Fumiko-sempai won the right for the first serve.

"Let's go, sempai. It's your serve."

"H-Hai!"

Hina went to her serving position, trying to calm her raging heart. The ball felt too big and too heavy in her hand, her racket seemed to weigh a ton.

At the whistle, she lifted her face, and served.

_'Thwack!'_

And the return went passed Hina, whose eyes are wide.

_'Love-15!'_

"That serve is too soft." Inui commented from beside Resha, pen flying across a page of his notebook. "Not her usual serve at all."

Hina served once more. And the ball was once again returned.

_'Love-30!'_

_'Love-40!'_

_'Game: Suga-Akio pair. 1 game to love. Change court!'_

The cheers from the members of the opposing team and some of the audience brought a chilling shiver down Hina's spine. _'Why can't I serve properly?!'_

"Time to change courts, Fumiko-sempai."

She turned to see Choharu staring at her with a calm expression in her face, seemingly not affected by the fact that they have just lost the first game, _their_ service game. _Isn't she worried?!_

The serve came fast and strong towards her, and Hina clambered the return it. The ball met the net.

_'15-love!'_

The second serve was an ace. Choharu was able to return the third serve, but Suga answered with a forehand towards Hina, who was still frozen on her spot. The fourth point was won with another ace.

_'Game: Suga-Akio pair. 2 games to love!'_

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

"This is bad, nyah! They couldn't even win a point!" Eiji exclaimed as he hugged the nearest person, who happens to be Echizen.

Momo nodded, frowning in worry. "Do you think they are tired? They've been playing since yesterday after all!"

Miyuki clamped her lips. "That is not the case here. Fumiko-chan is frozen."

"But even Choharu-san wouldn't even move!" Oishi argued, "I know this is a three-set match, but it is not good to be two games behind."

Tezuka turned his eyes at the female captain, who has so far been silent the whole morning. Just what is going on in her mind?

"They'll pull through."

The words brought his attention to Amika, who was smiling while flipping through a notebook, Choharu's, he supposed.

"They have everything they need here." The girl tapped an open page of the notebook.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_'Two games huh?'_ Choharu thought as she bounced the ball in her hand. '_Do we need to drop another game? But they may notice us…so._' She threw the ball, jumped and run to the net.

"Serve and volley?!"

A rally started, with Choharu returning all the balls at the net, Hina standing at the middle of the court.

_'15-love!'_

Two aces immediately followed, bringing the point to 40-love. Serving for the fourth time, Choharu surveyed the position of their opponents. _'Still no formation huh? They suddenly adopted a waiting game. We can't have that.'_ Serving, she stayed at the back, letting Hina return the balls passing by her, dark-brown eyes concentrating at the movements of her opponents.

'_Come on, Suga. Where is your killer forehand?' _

A strong backhand from Akio wrong footed Hina, the ball flying to the baseline. The Hoshiyumi senior smirked, waiting for the ball to drop.

And then Choharu was there, her arm in mid-swing, right-foot stretched. Switching on her foot, she back-handed her return, the ball skidding along the line: a winner.

_'Game: Fumiko-Kurosu pair. 1 game to 2!'_

_'What? How the hell did she get there so fast?!' _Suga blinked, eyes glued to the ball, and then to the dark-haired girl on the opposite court. '_You're good, but this is a doubles match.'_

"It's okay. It's my serve now." Mai Akio smirked, her eyes glinting with malice.

"Ah." Kiyo Suga agreed, mirroring her partner's expression. "Nobody has ever returned your serve so far, right?"

_'Mai Akio. First serve percentage: 100%, all serves are aces. Max. speed of 160 kph._' Choharu run down the data in her head, eyes staring at the serving form of Akio. _'She uses the muscles on her back to add speed and power to her serve.'_

_'I have the data. Why can't I do anything?!' _Hina bit her lip, eyes unfocused in front of her. They have gotten a game back, but they need to do more. She needed to do more. She doesn't want to be a disappointment to her team.

"Sempai."

She turned to look at Choharu, whose eyes are dark and contemplative, a smile on her lips. _'She doesn't look worried at all. But, is it all bravado?'_

"Hai?"

"You have the best serving form amongst us, aside from the three seniors, right?"

Hina blinked. "Ah…hai, I think so. Why?"

"But all of us can return your serve, right?"

"Hai."

"Hmm." Choharu smiled. "Then maybe I will be able to return her serve as well. After all," the dark-haired girl took a couple of steps backwards, standing behind the baseline, "your serve is far superior to Mai Akio's."

Hina's eyes widened, lips parting slightly as she stared at the younger girl in surprise. "_My serve…is superior…_" she glanced at the girl who just threw the ball and jumped, "_to her?!"_

_'Pow!'_

_"That's fast!"_

_"_155 kph." Inui mumbled, "Impressive."

"What is she doing?!" Momo shouted as his eyes widened at the court.

With her upper body crouched forward, legs bent at the knees, two hands gripping the handle of her racket, the dark-haired freshman waited as the ball came her way-fast and strong.

With a loud 'bang!', the racket and the ball met. Choharu staggered backwards, her grip at her racket tightening, her arms vibrating due to the impact. Shifting on her right foot, she brought her racket forward, and returned the ball to the other court.

It sailed through the middle line in a yellow streak.

_'Love-15!'_

An amazed gasp from the crowd erupted as Choharu stared at her palm, curling it into a fist before releasing it again. She did this for a couple of times before turning to the two stunned girls at the opposite court. "Are you serving or not?"

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"Your sister is such a cocky brat, Buchou." Sairi smirked as the four girls went on a break. "That serve is vicious."

"Yeah." Oishi agreed, "She could've injured her arm."

The female captain didn't say anything; her eyes are focused at the two girls drinking at the sidelines.

"How's your arm, Kurosu-chan?" Sumire asked the freshman. "That was a very fast and strong serve."

"It's okay, sensei. Fumiko-sempai's serve is actually faster."

"Eh?!"

Choharu nodded. "By a margin of about five to six kilometers per hour. Hers has more power though, but I managed to contain it at the last minute." She explained.

The coach stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "You returned four of them. Lay off for a while. We wouldn't want your arms to be strained too much." Hey eyes went to Hina. "Fumiko-san, try to get this game with your serves. They will try to take the lead."

"H-hai!"

"That's all. You're both doing well."

The two returned to the court, with Hina at the baseline, ready for her serve. Choharu managed to even out the score, but Hina knew their opponents are going to be more aggressive. Especially now that their ace, Akio's service game, was easily defeated.

With a deep breath, she threw the ball, Choharu's words in her mind. She has to trust the younger girl's words. If Choharu says that her serve is faster, then all she has to do is to hit the ball as hard as she can.

Choharu hid a smile as the sound of the ball meeting Hina's racket sounded through the court. _'At least 160 kph, straight down the middle line. An ace.'_

_'15-love!'_

Their opponents couldn't move fast enough to return the serve.

Another ball was thrown towards Hina, and she served without blinking her eyes. Three more serves after, they won the fifth game.

The game continued, with the Hoshiyumi pair trying to catch up.

_'15-30!'_

_'30 all!'_

_'30-40!'_

'_Game: Fumiko-Kurosu pair. 5 games to 2!'_

Mai Akio gritted her teeth. This Seishun pair is better than they have expected. She knew the freshman is good, an experienced player. But the junior player is a newbie, she shouldn't be a threat. But the past few games have shown that even though inexperienced, the skill is there, or is it talent?

"Mai."

Looking at her pissed off partner, Mai raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Don't serve too fast. That freshman is standing at the baseline _again."_

She is. _"_Okay then._"_

_"_Give them a soft one. We'll get them at the net._"_

_That _may be a better idea. Smiling, Mai got ready to serve.

Eyes glued to their opponents, Hina noticed a tiny detail at the serving form of Mai Akio. '_Huh? She's not going to use her ace serve?'_ If so, then are they planning to play at the net? _'94.50% chance that they will.'_

Her silent question was answered when, just after serving, Akio run towards the net.

"Double-net approach!" Eiji shouted as he pointed a finger to the court.

"Good idea. With Choharu-san at the baseline, Fumiko-san will not be able to react fast enough for the two of them." Inui commented. "The probability of them losing this game is 91.23%" He announced as Hina returned a shot aimed at her right side-line.

"Really?" Rin asked, a thoughtful look in her face. "But _both_ Choharu-chan and Fumiko-chan _knows _that, Inui-sempai."

The data-man stopped writing. And then, pushing his glasses, he nodded. "Ah."

'_Double-net approach huh?_' Choharu chuckled to herself. _Finally. 'Took you long enough.'_

Moving exactly behind Hina, Choharu crouched low and focused on her sempai's movements.

"Australian formation?" Oishi asked in a bewildered tone. "But-"

"I see." Tezuka nodded. "Clever."

Kisana chuckled. "This will only work if you have two data players acting as partners. All Choharu has to do is watch Hina's movements. She'll move according to that."

Just as Kisana finishes talking, Akio unleashed a strong forehand, aiming at Hina's open court. It would've been a winner if Choharu wasn't there, ready to return the ball. Eyes on her opponents, Choharu calculated her shot on her mind.

_'Probability that Suga will not leave her post: 89.11%, leaving Akio to defend the right-half of the court.'_

Switching on her left foot, Choharu back-handed the ball, sending it flying towards the right-baseline.

_'Love-15!'_

"Nice." Echizen murmured, eyes narrowing at the girls at the court.

Kaidoh hissed. "I didn't know Fumiko can play at the net like that."

"And I didn't know Choharu-san is _that_ precise." Momo added.

Sairi chortled with restrained amusement. "That girl can do anything if she puts her genius mind into it."

"..Nyah…" Eiji frowned, prompting his team mates to look at him weirdly.

"What is it Eiji?" Oishi asked.

Blinking his eyes, Eiji shook his head. "It's just that…I am not sure, but…Choharu-san seemed to switch on her foot before taking her shots."

"Huh?"

Eiji did not reply, making the male regulars return to look at the ongoing game.

Hina is still at the net, warding off almost all of the shots, Choharu perfectly hidden behind her.

This time, it was Suga who broke the net play, hitting a backhand towards the empty left side of Hina and Choharu's court.

One. Two. Three steps is all it took for Choharu to reach her spot. Eyes at the other court, she took another step and hit a forehand towards the outermost side of the line. The ball bounced high and out of reach.

_'Love-30!_'

"See?!" Eiji shouted. "That could've been a backhand but she switched on her foot and hit a forehand instead!"

Kaidoh, Momo and Oishi stared at the courts and back at the redhead with blinking eyes.

"Heh..Eiji-sempai is right." Echizen said, "She switches on her foot and sends the ball towards the empty slot."

Inui nodded, writing down the information on his notebook. "She calculates on her mind before taking her shots."

Fuji chuckled, breaking his silence. "Choharu-chan has always been good at that, right, Kisana-chan?"

The captain nodded her head. "Hmm. She calls it 'Switch Step'."

Resha grinned. "I remember the first time she used that against me. She gave me hell, damn that girl." The fondness in her blue eyes belied her words.

_'Game and Set: Fumiko-Kurosu pair. Seishun leads at 1 set to love.'_

"Good job you two." Sumire said as her players went back to the bench. "That was great, Fumiko-san. I didn't know you can play the net that well."

Hina flushed under her coach's stare. Chuckling, Sumire turned to the freshman. "So that is the infamous 'Switch Step' huh, Kurosu-chan?"

The girl just smiled, her face never showing anything that is going on in her mind.

"Well, continue as you are. Take this set and we get the first win of the finals."

"Hai!"

"How did Fumiko-chan learn how to play the net?" Miyuki asked silently beside Amika, her dark eyes at the younger girl. "I've never seen her practice net play before."

"She's got really good eyes, Miyuki-sempai." Amika answered, "And her reaction time is really fast."

"But without training…" light-blue hair swayed as Miyuki shook her head, "Can she continue doing that for another set?"

"I'm sure she can, sempai. After all, they've already calculated every move in this match."

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_'Second Set of the Doubles 2 match between Hoshiyumi and Seishun will now start.'_

Hina resumed her place at the service line, exchanging a look with Choharu.

_'Is the data enough, Fumiko-sempai?'_

_'Ah…I think so, Choharu-san.'_

_'We'll get them then…?'_

_'Yes.'_

She bounced the ball twice before throwing it upwards and slamming her racket down. She watched as Suga moved to intercept the ball, sending it towards Choharu.

_'Top spin at 90 kph.'_

Side-stepping, Choharu turned on her side and hit a forehand, earning them the first point. The next three points are won via three consecutive aces.

_'Game: Fumiko-Kurosu pair. 1 game to love!'_

Suga's serve isn't as fast or as strong as Akio's. Hina and Choharu easily returned them with gentle strokes. The rallies are long, with both Hoshiyumi players desperately trying to get past Hina. But the junior proved to be quite stubborn.

_'Game: Fumiko-Kurosu pair. 2 games to love! Change court!'_

The game continued on.

The Hoshiyumi pair stayed at the net, aiming fast shots at the empty courts on either sides of Hina, with Choharu staying at the back court.

_'Probability of Akio-san hitting a forehand at the left side of our court: 89%'_ Hina moved her left foot a fraction of a centimeter; Choharu, catching the tiny movement, readied herself to sprint towards the indicated direction.

The ball came barreling down the line, Akio grunting as her forehand sent the ball in a wild spin.

Light glinted off of Choharu's glasses as she moved to intercept the shot. Arms straining, feet planted deep at the court, the freshman returned the ball in a lightning-fast forehand. Akio was left dumbstruck on her feet. Her forehand isn't that easy to return!

Hina smiled. So far, everything is going according to their calculations. Not a step is too early or too late, not a shot out of place.

_Just the way they like everything to be._

_'Game, Set and Match. Seishun's Fumiko-Kurosu pair. 2 sets to love.'_

Choharu and Hina shared a triumphant grin as they slapped their open palms together. Hina couldn't help feeling a little bit giddy at winning the first match, thus giving their team the advantage.

"Good job you two." The female coach praised, lips up in a smirk. "Not even an hour."

"I reckon the game took 49 minutes and 35 seconds, is that right sempai?" Choharu turned to her partner.

Hina nodded, a blush on her cheeks. "Hai. Gomen. We could've won the match earlier if it wasn't for me."

Sumire waved her hand, dismissing the apology. "It is quite alright Fumiko-chan. What's important is that you managed to pull off a win."

Hina nodded eagerly, eyes grateful and beaming with happiness.

"Come on, sempai. We should get out of the courts so the others can warm-up."

"Hai!"

The two girls left the courts after bowing at their coach.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

Sumire watched the two walk out and approach their team. Eiji and Momo grinning and congratulating them, while Rin and Resha grinned and teased the gray-blonde junior. Her eyes went to her granddaughter, Sakuno, and her doubles partner, Amika Kurosu.

This will be the first time that she's able to watch Sakuno play officially. The female coach couldn't help but feel nervous and happy all at the same time.

"Good job you two." Kisana said silently after Eiji and the rest noisily congratulated the first two players. "Getting the first win is a big advantage for us."

"Yeah." Resha agreed, her eyes at their opposing team, "Though I couldn't help but get a little bit nervous."

"Eh? Why, Takami-sempai?" Momo asked.

Miyuki sighed. "Because of _them._ Hoshiyumi's Doubles 2 pair."

The male regulars turned to look at the two girls who have just entered the court.

Tezuka blinked his eyes as he recognizes the players. "Aren't they in Hyotei last year?"

Inui nodded. "Yes. Rina Usui and Hana Tanaka, both seniors, transferees from Hyotei. Usui is a left-handed serve and volley player, while Tanaka is a right-handed baseliner. They were ranked third among doubles players last year. Rate of success: 71.23%"

"They are _good_." Sairi remarked, eyes studying the two girls as they stretched.

"More than good." Miyuki said, "They went undefeated all through-out the earlier stages of the tournaments, but their captain didn't put them at the line-up during the semi-finals of last year's Nationals. They could've won."

Oishi eyed the Sakuno and Amika worriedly. "Can Ryuzaki-chan and Amika-san take them on?"

"Of course, Shu-kun!" Rin answered with a bright grin. "Amika-chan and Sakuno-chan will win! And _then,_ I will win the trophy for the whole team!"

Sairi rolled her eyes at the grinning girl. "Shut up, Hakeyama. But to answer your question, Oishi-sempai," she smirked, "No need to worry. Those two will take our second victory. Just you watch."

Fuji, silently standing on Tezuka's left, turned his sharp blue-eyes at their own pairing, and then to the girl beside him. "Are they gonna be alright?"

The rest of the regulars waited for her answer. Tilting her face towards the Tensai, her lips curved into a smile.

"Of course. I have no doubt they will be more than just alright." She turned her eyes back at her sister and the auburn-haired girl. "They will win."

Fuji chuckled at the tone of absoluteness. Smiling softly at her, he returned his attention back at the court, where the four female players are getting ready to claim the victory.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

_'Doubles 1: Hoshiyumi's Usui-Tanaka pair versus Seishun's Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. Three sets match. Usui to serve!'_

"Are you ready, Ryuzaki-chan?" Amika's soft voice asked from beside Sakuno.

"H-hai, Kurosu-chan."

Amika laughed softly. "Call me Amika, Ryuzaki-chan. You're already calling Cho by her name right?"

Sakuno blinked. Amika just laughed once more before facing their opponents. "It's about to start. So, where do you want to be, Ryuzaki-chan? At the net, or at the baseline?"

"Uh…" _Where to stand?!_ Sakuno bit her lip, indecision forcing her to remain frozen on her spot. Amika chuckled.

"These two are good. And they are fast at the net. Let's stay at the baseline for now, na, Ryuzaki-chan?"

Nodding, Sakuno went to the right side of their court, ready to play.

Amika's eyes followed the other freshman. She can feel Sakuno's nervousness, but it wasn't unfamiliar. This today is their third official doubles game, and she knows that the other girl is behaving the way she did the first two games.

She just hopes that like the first two games, her partner will shake the cobwebs in her mind and play to her absolute best because even though they can afford to lose a game, Amika doesn't want it to be hers.

Usui served, and the game went on its way.

Sakuno played with a nervous energy. Her steps were a little bit wobbly, her shots indecisive. And the seasoned doubles pair have easily noticed and taken advantage of this.

'_Game: Usui-Tanaka pair. 1 game to love! Change court!'_

Biting her lower lips, Sakuno walked beside Amika, who, alike her twin sister earlier, is keeping a calm and smiling façade.

"Amika-san…"

"No need to apologize, Ryuzaki-chan." Amika chuckled at the surprised look on her partner's face. "It's only one game. And that is all that they'll be getting from us. Right?"

"Uh…" '_All they'll be getting from us?! Meaning…'_ "Hai, Amika-san!"

Amika took her position at the baseline, a ball in her left hand, bouncing it to the ground while her eyes are studying her opponents. '_Usui is left-handed, while Tanaka is right-handed. All we need to do is to break their rhythm. But,_' she tossed the ball up in the air, '_it wouldn't be easy.'_ She stayed at the baseline, anticipating the fast return of the baseliner. _'After all, they have more experience playing together than I have with Ryuzaki-chan._'

The game went on as Amika served and Sakuno took care of the net returns. As it turned out, Usui favors being at the net, while her partner remains at the baseline.

A strong forehand from Sakuno ended the second game.

_'Game: Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. 1 game all.'_

"Hmm, they're doing well despite the fact that their opponents are more experienced." Oishi commented. Resha shook her head, a tiny frown in her forehead.

"It's too early to tell. Those two are good; there's no denying that. Amika and Ryuzaki-chan needs to take an early lead if they want to take the first set."

"The Usui-Tanaka pair has 91.56% success rate when they have the first serve." Inui said, "And 95.04% when they win the first game."

"Looking at the game now, that is not good." Momo said, Eiji nodded beside him.

"Geez. Way to be negative guys." Sairi growled. "Just watch the fre—match." She hastily changed her words when Resha raised an eyebrow at her. "Che."

Amika eyed Hana Tanaka, the girl who's about to serve. She is tall—about 4 of 5 centimeters taller than her partner, meaning she has longer reach and can reach her spots faster. No wonder she stays at the baseline, she can cover a wider ground than her shorter partner.

Tanaka served, but Sakuno, in a blink of an eye, is already at her receiving spot. Amika smiled secretly. She knew she can rely on Ryuzaki's eyes for this match.

Sakuno's return surprised their opponents, giving them an easy point.

Tanaka 'tsked'. They have been careless at that one point. She never thought the newbie would be able to return her serve as easy as that. But, she frowned, that pig-tailed girl seemed to have moved faster than earlier. Or was it a fluke? There is only one way to know.

The second serve was a lot faster than the first one. Fast, with a heavy top spin added to it. Sakuno's eyes widened as she recognized the addition.

She moved just a little too late though, as the ball made its way past her. She saw Tanaka smirk in triumph…

…Only for it to drop as Amika slammed her racket at the ball. Sakuno _felt_ more than _hear_ the 'whoosh' sound as the ball whizzed past her.

A screaming forehand winner.

_'Love-30!'_

The next serve was returned through an equally vicious forehand. Amika finished the third game with a backhand that had Usui running to the sideline, only to miss the ball as it landed deeper than she has expected.

_'Game: Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. 2 games to 1.'_

"Now I know why you guys call her a wall." Inui chuckled. "Amika-san never lets a ball pass by her. Absolute defense."

Fuji nodded, looking at Choharu who is silently watching the game beside Hina. "Ah. And Choharu-chan is the absolute offense. The two of you really are the perfect doubles team."

The young girl shrugged. "Not really. Amika and Kisana could be the perfect doubles pair, actually. Or me and Kisana, take your pick."

"Geez. No thanks." Sairi pinched the younger girl's cheeks, earning a huff from the girl. "I will rather face you and your twin, than face you and Buchou. That is called suicide you know."

Rin turned to the pink-haired girl with a grin. "Then you should Sairi-chan!"

"Shut up Hakeyama."

The others just laughed.

"It is now Sakuno-chan's serve!" Eiji announced, a giddy smile on his face as he nudged the male freshman in front of him. "Nyah! Are you excited ochibi?!"

Echizen merely grunted and fixed his hat on his head.

'_Just like practice huh?_' Sakuno thought as she inhaled deeply. Exhaling it one long breath, she raised her arm and served. Her eyes immediately focused themselves at the return.

Only, there wasn't any.

_'15-love!'_

"Eh?!"

Amika chuckled at her, gesturing at the opposite court, where the two senior girls are looking at Sakuno with wide eyes.

"Nice serve, Ryuzaki-chan."

With a warm face, Sakuno went back to her earlier position, a ball clutched in her left hand. _'I can do this! We will win this match and make it a 2-0 advantage!'_

With confidence growing, Sakuno served once more, and a rally started.

Sumire watched with growing sense of pride as her awkward, clumsy granddaughter chased at every ball that comes her way; as the two freshmen returned every ball that were sent their ways. She can almost envision a wall at the court, that's how tight their defense is. Sakuno hit a forehand, ending the fifth game in their favor.

'_Game: Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. 4 games to 1!'_

Where was she when Sakuno started playing like this?

The game trickled on, with both pairs chasing down the balls at their respective courts. Sakuno stepped to her left, and with a grunt, hit a backhand towards the open side of their opponent. She was about to rejoice when Usui, eyes glinting at her, returned it with a forehand that had the ball wildly spinning towards her. Sakuno didn't have enough time to get into her receiving mode.

_'Love-15!'_

Sakuno gulped. In her excitement, she has forgotten that Usui is left-handed, meaning that as long she is at the left side of their court, she can reach almost every ball.

Amika on the other hand, couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the fact that Usui finally played at her best.

With her jaws clenched tightly, Usui returned to her baseline, ready to receive the freshman's serve. She will not allow these two newbie to stain their record! They've worked so hard for this. She will not let go of it!

"Amika-san…" Sakuno gulped, clearly shaken by the recent play. "What should we do?"

"Hmm?"

"She has started to adopt a different kind of play."

Amika smiled, eyes focused at the ball in her hand. "Don't worry about it Ryuzaki-chan. We have them in our pace."

Before Sakuno can respond, Amika turned on her heel and went back to the baseline, ready to get back to the game. Sakuno could only gulp and try to calm her nerves.

**~~~~Ж~~~~**

"That shot has too much spin on it. How can she generate that?" Kaidoh hissed as his eyes grew wider at the left-handed girl.

"See the way she tilts her racket?" Choharu answered him, her pen in perfect sync with Inui's, Kaidoh nodded, "She does that if she wants to add spin to her shots. Clockwise for topspin, counterclockwise for under spin. The amount varies on the speed of her swing."

"Choharu-san is right. Also, although she is shorter than Tanaka-san, Usui-san is more effective at that side of the court, since she is left-handed." Inui added.

"Meaning no matter how far the ball is at the left side, she has 99.99% of reaching it faster than Ryuzaki-chan or Amika-san can return to their receiving position." Hina finishes. Inui and Choharu nodded at the same time.

The rest have a baffled, if not slightly scared (in the case of Eiji, Momo, Kaidoh and Rin) expressions in their faces.

"Now _that's_ scary." Sairi said with a wry twist of her lips.

Oishi nodded. "Yeah…please refrain from doing that again."

The three turned their heads at him, blank, curious expressions on their faces. "Doing what?"

Oishi can only sigh in resignation.

Tezuka echoed Oishi's sigh, before returning to the match. _What are you going to do now?_

_**~~~~Ж~~~~**_

Back at the court, Amika served a soft one.

And then she placed herself two steps behind the center line, with Sakuno at her right. Her eyes followed Usui's movements: the way the older girl twists her racket in either way. Just as she suspected, it is not the wrist that is moving, it is the whole lower part of the arm. This will take a little longer than she expected.

Stepping backwards, she let Sakuno deal with the net. Since Usui has decided to use her left forehand, she will not be playing closer to the net for a while. The short distance will not allow her to use her favored shot, especially if she needed to put the spin that she wanted to. Amika is certain of that.

Tanaka is staying far down the baseline, getting ready when Sakuno or Amika would hit a strong forehand or backhand. _But_, Amika thought as she moved to intercept one of the first few forehands Usui is sending, one player will not be able to cover the whole of the back court.

Stepping on her right foot, Amika brought her racket forward to meet the ball just before it drops to the ground. Pivoting on her heel, she saw Usui rushing to her left, while Tanaka approaches the net. Tilting her racket downwards, she brought it up, pulled back a little and let go. The ball sailed high.

And dropped at the baseline.

There wasn't any spin, as the yellow ball lay unmoving, as if someone put it there.

The crowd, along with the two players at the other side of the court, was stunned.

"Tha—that…"

"No…spin.."

The male regulars stared at the ball, and back to the girl.

Miyuki though, chuckled softly. "When was the last time we saw that?"

"'_Spinwheel_'." Resha whistled under her breath. "As impressive as ever."

Tezuka nodded his head in appreciation. "She managed to neutralize the spin that the ball carried."

"Spin…wheel?" Kaidoh murmured. "What kind of shot is that?"

"Unyah! I wanna know what happened!"

They all turned to look at the three data-people.

Hina flushed. "Uhm…anou.."

"Choharu-san, if you please." Inui urged the dark-haired girl, who, in turn, sighed.

"Why me?" she murmured, before explaining her twin sister's shot. "'Spinwheel' is a kind of shot that neutralizes any spin to a ball. Under spin, top spin. Name it, 'Spinwheel' will neutralize it. To do that, Amika spins on her heel, prolonging her hold on the ball by tilting her racket, containing all the spin that the ball carries. Once she feels that the spin is almost gone, she pulls her hand back before letting go of the ball. While doing so, she tilts her racket back up, making the ball sail high, losing any spin or rotation that the racket gives it. Once it lands, the ball is completely devoid of any spin. I gave it the name 'Spinwheel' because of Amika's motion when doing that shot."

"But to make the ball drop at the baseline…" Oishi said.

Choharu nodded. "If you think I am precise, then Amika is even more precise. She's dead- on accurate. How do you think she can she dictate the pace of the game if she's not?"

"But she did something else, didn't she?" Echizen murmured, a smirk visible at the corner of his lips, his eyes blazing as he stares at the girl.

Kisana chuckled. "You have sharp eyes, Echizen-san. But it's more of '_she's doing something else'."_

"Amika-chan has them already huh? That was fast." Fuji said, amusement in his voice. "I think having Sakuno-chan at the net gives her more room huh?"

Kisana nodded slowly, eyes shining at a thought. "Ryuzaki-chan may not have Cho's analytical expertise, but she has a pair of eyes that may someday give me a run for my money." She chuckled at the end of her sentence.

"So, Ryuzaki-chan's reactions help Amika-chan set the game?" Rin asked. "Sugoi."

"She's amazing, isn't she? With just a few strokes, sidesteps, with her sharp eyes, Amika can have anyone playing at the palm of her dainty hand." Choharu added; her voice and the look on her face proud of her twin sister. _'That's why I will try my hardest to measure up to her, even just a little bit.'_

Kisana eyed her youngest sister. She knows just how much Choharu admires her twin sister. But with that admiration, comes an even heavier burden. One that Kisana had been trying to ease for the longest time.

The game moved on, with the freshman pair showing absolute defense, while the Hoshiyumi pair tried to rally against them. But to no avail.

The game ended in an astonishing 6 games to love result.

_'Game, Set and Match: Seishun's Kurosu-Ryuzaki pair. 6 games to love, 2 sets to love. Seishun leads the finals at 2 matches to love.'_

___**~~~~Ж~~~~**_  


The cheer that greeted the two freshman girls when they left the court was deafening. Eiji and Momo were two of the loudest voices. Rin not wanting to be outdone.

"That was a good show, Sakuno-chan, Kurosu-chan." Sumire said as soon as the two reached the side line, her face split in a wide grin. "Way to even make our advantage even bigger."

Sakuno blushed under her grandmother's praise. "Arigatou, Baa-chan."

Amika grinned cheerfully beside her. "Ryuzaki-chan is so nice to play with!"

Sumire chuckled. "But you were magnificent out there Kurosu-chan." Her eyes are brimming with admiration. "You did Seishun good by playing here with us."

The young girl ducked her head in embarrassment, but Sumire can see the glow of pleasure in her cheeks.

"Well, go and take a breather now, you two. It is time for Rin-chan to take the court."

"Hai!"

_At the Seishun side of the court…_

Rin exhaled deeply as she took off her jersey jacket. Her hair is now in its usual ponytail, a dark-green headband at the top of her forehead to keep the shorter strands of her hair from falling to her eyes. Beside her, Oishi smiled fondly at the look of concentration at the face of the brown-haired girl.

"Yosh! Time to end this finals match!" Rin proclaimed as she took her racket from her bag.

"Good luck out there Rin-chan."

Rin turned to the male vice-captain, her grin stretching wider. "Arigatou Shu-kun!"

"Give us the win, Rin-chan."

Rin nodded at her ginger-head vice-captain. Her eyes went to the silent caramel-haired captain, whose lemon-brown eyes are staring at her blankly. Rin badly needed to hear his voice before she steps out into the court.

With a nod, Tezuka opened his lips, and told her. "Play your tennis, Rin."

_'Always play your best tennis, Rin._'

"Hai! Kunimitsu-nii!"

'_Singles 3 match between Hoshiyumi's Naname Tsue and Seishun's Rin Hakeyama. Players please come to the court.'_

With the sunlight on her face, Rin walked into the court with resolute steps. Her dark-brown racket clutched tightly on her hand, her eyes stared ahead of her, where the girl she's about to face is standing.

And her heart stopped.

In her mind, a question was formed:

_'Are monsters allowed to play tennis?!'_

* * *

**There. I finally I got this one out!**

** .**

**Hope you guys like this! :)**

**Read. Review. Please ?(_big, puppy eyes here)_**

**XD**

**By the way guys, I have another OC story titled 'TheComplex'.**

**Please do visit and read it!**

**Thanks again!**


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